Danny Phantom: Season 4
by ThePhantomHedgehog
Summary: Danny Phantom returns! Join Team Phantom as they are joined by Specter and Dust to stop Reaper, the malicious ghost from Specter's timeline. The quest for the remaining Orbs of Power continues, Specter's secrets are exposed, and Danny is met with the greatest surprise yet! New ghosts; origins revealed; and legends come to life! The question is: Will anyone survive? [In-Progress]
1. Episode 61: First Impressions

**I'm baaaaaaack~…**

**I know, I tried to get this out earlier, but shit happened. Hope you all had a Merry Christmas, a Happy Hanukah, and a Happy Holidays. If you have a problem with any of those, then happy go fuck yourself. Also, Happy New Year everyone.**

**Yes, this is rated T. Which gives me less creative restraint in terms of content. I want to point out that not every episode really requires this rating, but it is necessary for future ones.**

**If you're confused at any point while reading this and you don't know what the hell is going on, go and read my Season 3 story.**

**Lot has happened lately; my Surface Pro 4 died, finals, online class, family stuff… writing stories.**

**Anyways…! Let's get to it, phans…**

**Wow, after all these months, that still sounds bad…**

**Ver. 1.0.0 (1/2/20)**

**Standard Disclaimer, I do not own Danny Phantom, but the drilling operations into Nickelodeon's underground vault is still in operations, so don't- Hm? Oh, they found out? Welp, time to bolt.**

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

The morning sun shone brightly across Amity Park; the light emitting through Danny's window and across his sleeping his eyes. He began to stir and slowly sat up. He stretched out his arms and yawned before rubbing his eyes and glancing over at the clock.

"7:55!?" he exclaimed, his eyes widening, "I'm gonna be late on the first day of school!"

Danny leapt out of bed and dashed over to his closet in his boxors. The swung open the door and rummaged through the clothes. A few seconds later, after stumbling around to get his clothes on, Danny glanced back at the clock.

"Oh, great," he moaned, "I've got only four minutes before class begins. So much for walking."

He grabbed his backpack and carried over his shoulder. A white ring appeared around his waist and separated into two rings, each going up and down his body. A moment later, where Danny Fenton once was standing, Danny _Phantom _took his place. He turned intangible and flew through his bedroom wall. Once outside, Phantom turned tangible again and rocketed over the neighborhood.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Meanwhile, at Casper High, Tucker, Sam, and Danny's other first period classmates were already in class. Tucker and Sam were seated in the middle row of class, but their friend, and Sam's boyfriend, was nowhere to be seen, as an empty seat was between them. Tucker and Sam glanced over at the clock, wondering where he was.

"Ah, good morning, class," said their teacher as he entered the classroom, "I see I have a few familiar faces as my students again."

"Oh, come on…" Tucker moaned as he sulked in his seat, "_Lancer!?_"

The teacher, and vice-principal of the school, sat down at his desk and opened the folder he brought with him.

"I see that everyone, or at least_ almost _everyone, is already here, so I'll begin taking roll," Mr. Lancer announced.

He pulled out a pen and began calling out students' names.

"Dash Baxter?"

There was no reply.

"Dash Baxter?" Mr. Lancer called out again.

Dash, who was seated in the back left of the class, snapped out of his nap.

"Huh!?" he exclaimed, "Uh, here!"

Mr. Lancer gave the athlete a disapproving stare before marking him present.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

"There it is!" Danny exclaimed as he saw his high school in the distance, "And with two minutes to spare!"

As Phantom closed in on the school, a green ghost ray shot through the air and hit him. Danny crashed into the ground, slightly dazed, but unharmed. He barely got to his feet in time before something grabbed him and slammed him into a nearby tree.

"Hello, whelp."

"Skulker," Danny growled back, glaring at the hunter, "Can this wait until later? I have class in less than two minutes."

"I could," Skulker smirked before raising a fist, "but even a hunter's patience is limited."

Danny's eyes began to glow an icy blue and he fired a pair of cryo-eyebeams at Skulker, freezing him in place. Danny took the opportunity to turn intangible and phase through the tree, out of Skulker's grip. He floated behind and Skulker and grabbed his frozen form by the raised fist.

"I didn't even have time to bring the Thermos today," Phantom told him, "but I'll deal with you later."

With that, Danny picked Skulker up and began to spin him around for a couple of seconds before hurling him away. Danny watched as Skulker disappeared into the distance. A second later, Danny's eyes widened as he checked his watch.

"Only a minute left!?" he exclaimed.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

"Grey DeLisle?" Mr. Lancer called out. *****

"Here."

Mr. Lancer noted down the student's presence and called out the next name.

"Daniel Fenton?"

No reply. Tucker and Sam gave each other a nervous glance.

"Daniel Fenton?" Mr. Lancer called out again.

"Heh," Dash smirked as he leaned back in his seat and rested his head behind his hands, "No surprise Fen-turd would be late on the first day of school. Ha-ha-ha!"

"Daniel Fen-"

"Here!"

Dash's eyes shot open and was shocked to see Danny sitting at his desk.

"Huh-WHOA!" Dash exclaimed as he fell over his chair.

"Mr. Baxter, could we please not make a scene?" Mr. Lancer asked politely, "It's the first day back for you all and we don't want to start off on the wrong note, do we?"

"Uh… no, sir," Dash replied as he sat back down.

Tucker chuckled as Danny gave Sam a wink and a thumbs up. Sam was sitting next to one of the windows in the classroom, which allowed Danny to easily see Skulker appear behind the glass and aim his wrist blaster at Danny. Before Danny could react, something shot down above Skulker, taking him down to the ground. Danny quickly got up from his seat and looked out the window, only to see no sign of Skulker or whatever hit him.

"Mr. Fenton?" Mr. Lancer said, getting Danny's attention, "Please return to your seat. We will begin class shortly."

"Uh, yes, Mr. Lancer," Danny replied as he walked away from the window.

"Tucker Foley?" Mr. Lancer called out.

"Here."

As Danny sat back down, he glanced back at the window, wondering what, or who, attacked Skulker.

***Cue Intro***

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

**Danny Phantom in: First Impressions (Episode 61)**

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

After school, Danny, Tucker, and Sam were walking down the street, heading for the Fenton Works.

"I can't believe I have Lancer as my teacher for most of my classes again," Danny moaned.

"Hey, cheer up, dude," said Tucker, "At least with Lancer you know what to expect."

"And the three of us have 2 classes together," Sam added.

Sam glanced away and tapped her chin.

"By the way, why were you late this morning, Danny?" she asked, "We weren't out _that _late on patrol last night."

"I just slept in," Danny explained, "But I did run into Skulker on my way to school."

"Leave it to Skulker to pick the best times to go after you," Tucker smirked.

"The weird thing is that after I got to class, Skulker showed up again just outside the classroom window and I saw something take him down," said Danny as they walked up to the Fenton Works entrance, "I don't know what, or who, it was, but I have a good idea who."

Danny opened the door and was instantly welcomed with a blue ghost ray shooting him directly into the chest. The blast shot him back and he landed on his back against the sidewalk.

"Danny!" Sam exclaimed and rushed over to his side, "Are you alright!?"

"He's fine, Manson," a voice answered from inside the Fenton Works.

The team turned to face Trevor as he stepped outside.

"Just a weak ghost ray."

"What the heck was that for!?" Tucker exclaimed.

"Testing his reaction time," Trevor answered flatly, "Which you need improvement on."

Sam helped Danny up to his feet and he brushed himself off.

"Some way to say 'hello'," said Danny, "And thanks, by the way."

Trevor raised an eyebrow.

"Uh, for showing how slow you are?" Trevor asked with uncertainty.

"No, for this morning," Danny specified.

This only made Trevor more confused.

"This morning. With _Skulker_?" Danny asked.

"Phantom, I have no idea what you're talking about," said Trevor, "I've been here all day with your parents trying to fix the Fenton Deadshot."

"How's that coming along?" Tucker asked.

"Better than I feared, worse than I hoped," Trevor replied as he turned around and went back inside.

The rest of the gang followed suit and Danny closed the door behind them. They started walking upstairs when Maddie came up from the labs.

"Dust told me you guys had something important to show me?" Trevor asked her as they passed each other.

"Go see for yourself," she replied before looking up to the others, "How was your first day of school, kids?"

"Mom…" Danny moaned, "We're not kids anymore. But it went well."

***Knock-knock-knock***

A knock came from the front door and everyone turned towards it.

"Is that the pizza guy!?" Trevor called from the labs, "That guy came fast… No dirty jokes, Tucker!"

Tucker smirked at the comment as Danny went back down to answer the door. When he opened it, no one was there. He poked his head out and looked around for a moment. He scratched his head in confusion.

"Who is it, Danny?" Maddie asked.

"There's no one here," Danny replied over his shoulder, "Probably just someone pranking or-"

"DaaaaannnnyyyyyYYYYYYYYYY!" someone in the distance called out as they came flying towards him.

"WHOA!" Danny exclaimed and instinctually turned himself intangible as the unidentified person flew right through him and into the Fenton Works.

"What the hell is going o-"

***WUMP***

Trevor didn't get a chance to finish his question as he came back upstairs before the unknown person crashed into him. The two tumbled together down the stairs to the lab and landed at the bottom with a thud. Danny, Tucker, Sam, and Maddie hurried downstairs.

"Trevor!? Are you okay!?" Danny asked.

Trevor had landed flat on his back, with the intruder on top of him. He lifted his head and shook off the dazed feeling.

"Who the hell are you and get off of-" Trevor ordered before he saw the person on him.

They were wearing a matching shirt-and-pants set that revealed their midriff; the right half of the shirt was white while the other half was black, separated diagonally down the middle; a pair of gloves, the left one white and the right one black; a pair of black baggy pants with white streaks on the side, and a pair of white boots. They had long white hair and a ponytail, neon green eyes, and a familiar white DP logo on their chest.

"… me," Trevor finished slowly as a slight blush appeared on his cheeks.

"Uh… hi?" the girl said with a nervous smile.

"Danielle!?" Danny exclaimed.

"Danny!" the female counterpart exclaimed and jumped up to her feet and hugged him.

Trevor slowly got to his feet and brushed himself off.

"What are you doing here?" Danny asked as the two pulled away, "Wait, are you okay!? Are you in trouble!?"

"What?" Dani asked with a smirk, "Can't a girl visit her favorite cousin?"

"You mean your _only _cousin?" Danny teased.

"GHOST!"

Everyone turned to see Jack rush over with the Fenton Ghost Weasel and aimed it at Deni. Danny quickly got in front of her and blacked his father's way.

"Dad, no!" he exclaimed, "This is Danielle! You know? The one I told you guys about? The clone of me that Vlad, uh, Plasmius made from my DNA?"

"Hm…" Jack pondered for a moment before his face softened, "Oh, _that _Danielle!"

He lowered the weapon and powered it down.

"Sorry about that- hey… where did she go?" Jack asked.

Danny turned around and saw the Dani was nowhere in sight.

"Danielle!?" Danny exclaimed, "Where'd you go!?"

"She's floating up there," Trevor replied, his eyes glowing blue.

Everyone turned to see him pointing up at the ceiling and looked up, but there was nothing there.

"She's invisible," Trevor added.

"How did you see me?" Dani asked as she revealed herself.

"Dani, it's fine," Danny explained, "My parents know about you. It's fine."

Dani didn't seem very convinced. Danny smiled as a white ring appeared around his waist and he went ghost.

"See?" he asked, "I told them my secret and they've still accepted me."

Dani turned towards Tucker and Sam and saw them smiling and nodding to her. A small smile appeared on her face and she descended down to the ground. As soon as her feet touched the ground, she and Danny reverted back to their human forms. Danny then turned to his parents as they approached Danielle.

"Mom, dad, this is Danielle," said Danny, "Danielle, these are my parents."

"Uh… hi," Danielle said, waving nervously.

"Hmm…" Maddie hummed as she leaned in towards Danielle, "I can see what Danny meant when he said Plasmius tried to make a clone of him."

She stood up straight and smiled.

"You look like a near perfect replica of Danny when he was 12, with some feminine features," she noted.

"You're right, Maddie!" Jack exclaimed as he rushed over and picked Danielle up and gave her a bear hug, "I've always wondered what it would have been like if Danny was a girl! It brings a tear to my eye!"

"Uh, dad? You're crushing her." Danny pointed out.

Jack looked down and noticed Danielle was having difficulty breathing and quickly released her.

"Sorry about that, girl-Danny," Jack apologized.

"I'm okay," said Danielle as he caught her breath.

She turned towards Trevor, who had been still and silent for a couple of minutes now.

"Who's he?" Danielle asked Danny.

Everyone turned to Trevor, who was clearly blushing and zoned out. Dust, who was nearby on Danny's laptop doing research, morphed into her raven form and flew over to Trevor. She perched herself on his right shoulder and pecked his cheek a couple of times.

"Huh? What?" Trevor asked, shaking his head and snapping out of his trance, "Oh, uh… hi."

"Uh… hi," Danielle replied with a raised eyebrow.

Danny, Tucker, and Sam gave each other a knowing glance and smirk. Dust deadpanned and telepathically communicated with Trevor.

"Uh, oh, um… I'm Trevor," Trevor finally said, holding out a hand.

Danielle glanced at his hand for a moment before shaking it.

"Danielle," she replied and released her hand.

An awkward silence fell upon Trevor, much to Team Phantom's enjoyment.

***Knock-knock-knock***

"Pizza delivery!" someone shouted.

"Oh, _there's _the pizza guy," said Trevor before glancing back at Danielle, "Soooo… you hungry?"

***Guurrrrrrrrr***

"Heh-heh," Danielle chuckled nervously, "Yeah… a little."

"Well, let's head upstairs and eat," Danny suggested, "I'm curious about what you've been up to since we last saw each other."

As everyone headed up the stairs, Trevor lagged behind and scratched the back of his head.

"_Awww…" _Dust telepathically sighed, _"You like her."_

"_Shut up," _Trevor replied with a glare.

"_You're blushing," _Dust teased.

"_Are you high? What happened to the serious Dust?"_

"_And miss this opportunity that will never come again?" _

"Ughh…" Trevor groaned.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

"New York City, huh?" Danny asked.

Danielle nodded as she stuffed her mouth with more pizza.

"Hmm… hey, Trevor?" Danny asked, "Weren't you in New York City around that time?"

"I was," Trevor replied, "I may have seen her watching a news piece of when you fought Technus after he stole your parents' tech."

"That was _you_!?" Danielle exclaimed, "What happened to the black jacket and mask?"

"Balaclava," Trevor corrected before taking a bite out of his pizza, "And why does it matter?"

"Just curious," Danielle replied before turning back to Danny, 'Oh, and you're welcome by the way."

"What do you mean?" Danny asked.

"For dealing with that ghost that attacked you on your way to school," Danielle replied as she bit into another slice of pizza.

"So, it was _you _who dealt with Skulker," said Danny, "Where is he now?"

"I dunno," Danielle shrugged, "Last I saw him was when I kicked his metal butt into the horizon."

"Danielle, do you have a place to stay?" Sam asked as she grabbed another slice of veggie pizza.

"Uh… I figured I would crash here for a couple of days," said Danielle before turning to Danny, "If that's alright with you."

"Of course!" Danny replied, "Why wouldn't it be?"

Danny's eyes widened and he turned to his parents.

"It's fine, Danny," said Maddie.

"She can sleep in Jazz's room," Jack added, "Why don't you show her, Danny?"

"Alright," Danny replied as he turned to Danielle, "Full yet?"

Danielle released a loud belch and nodded.

"_Manners_," Maddie said with a hint of authority.

"Excuse me," Danielle replied as she hopped off the seat and followed Danny out of the kitchen.

Trevor couldn't help but watch her leave as he continued to eat his pizza in silence. Tucker's snort caught his attention and he saw the Tucker and Sam were holding back a laugh.

"_WHAT_?" Trevor asked in annoyance.

"Can't get your eyes off of a certain someone, eh?" Sam smirked.

"Trevor and Danielle sittin' in a tree-" Tucker began taunting.

"Finish that joke and you'll never have children of your own, Foley," Trevor warned.

"Oh, so you _do _like Danielle," Sam smirked, "Now I see why everyone always teased me and Danny about us being together before."

Trevor glared at the two as he ate the last bite of his pizza and tossed the paper plate into the air and into the trash bin.

"I'll be downstairs researching," he announced and left the kitchen with a red face.

Tucker and Sam glanced at each other.

"So many jokes," said Tucker.

"And so little time," Sam added.

"I CAN STILL HEAR YOU!" Trevor shouted from the lab, causing the two to giggle.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Danny opened the room to Jazz's room and let Danielle enter first.

"So, this is where your sister sleeps?" Danielle asked, "You think she'll mind sharing?"

"Actually, she's away for college," Danny explained, "She won't be back until Christmas break, with a visit back for Thanksgiving in between."

Danielle walked over to the bed and plopped down on it.

"Wow… first bed I've laid on in weeks," she sighed.

"What do you mean?" Danny asked, "Where do you usually sleep?"

"Oh, uh… I mean… it _feels _like I haven't laid on a bed in weeks," Danielle corrected herself quickly, "Long distance to travel, you know?"

"Uh-huh…" Danny replied with a raised eyebrow as Danielle chuckled nervously.

"But enough about me," said Danielle, "What's the deal with Trevor?"

"Yeeeaaahh… That's a long story," Danny replied, scratching the back of his head.

"Well, he clearly knows your secret," said Danielle, "So, let's hear it."

Before Danny could begin, his and Danielle's ghost sense went off.

"Hold that thought," Danielle said with a smirk as she got off the bed, "It's time to kick some ghost butt."

A white ring appeared around her and Danny's waist and they went ghost.

"Alright," said Dani, "let's go!"

Dani didn't even move an inch before a green ecto-net shot from behind and trapped her inside.

"Huh!?" she exclaimed before the rope attached to the net went taut and pulled her away, "Hey!"

Skulker's arm was phased through the wall and the rest of his body phased through as he reeled in his catch.

"Thought I would give up so easily, child?" Skulker asked, "You should have known better."

He held up his prey and examined it.

"Wait… you're not the ghost-child," Skulker said in confusion.

"Let her go, Skulker!" Danny shouted, getting the hunter's attention.

"What!?" he exclaimed, looking back and forth at the two Phantoms, "There are _two _of you!?"

"Hey, metal butt!" Dani shouted, "Let me out!"

A grin appeared on Skulker's face.

"You want her back, child?" he teased Danny, "Then come and get her."

Skulker activated his jetpack and turned intangible. Dani continued to struggle in the net as she and Skulker phased through the wall. Skulker laughed as he made it outside, but was instantly stopped.

***WHAM***

Danny kicked Skulker in the head and sent him crashing into the ground. He quickly flew down to Dani and helped free her from the net.

"Hey," Dani said as she got up on her feet, "when did you change your suit?"

"Trevor showed me how to make modifications to it," Danny replied, "What do you think?"

"I think the green is a nice touch."

Suddenly, Skulker immediately got back up and grabbed the two Phantoms by their throats, lifting them off the ground.

"Today must be my lucky day," he smirked, "Instead of one pelt, I can now have _two_."

Danny tried to phase out of Skulker's grip, but he couldn't.

"I can't phase out," Danny strained.

"I learn from my mistakes, whelp," Skulker explained, "You think I let you escape so easily earlier today without any reason?"

"I thought it was because I kicked your sorry hide to the next town," Dani strained.

Skulker chuckled as he activated his jetpacks again and began to fly off. Suddenly, he froze in place and his armor was surrounded in a blue aura.

"What the heck?" he muttered, "I can't move!"

"And where do you think you're going, Skulker?"

Danny, Dani, and Skulker looked down and saw Logan Specter with his right hand held up, glowing the same blue aura.

"A bit rude to blindside your prey like that, don't you think?" Specter asked, "What ever happened to the 'thrill of the hunt'?"

"Ah, not you…" Skulker moaned.

Specter focused harder and forced Skulker to released the other two halfas. They slowly descended back to the ground just as Skulker flew straight down.

***WHAM***

The force of the telekinesis was strong enough to knock out the spectral hunter. An energy beam shot forward and pulled Skulker into the Fenton Thermos that Specter was holding. Specter slapped the cap on the Thermos as Danny and Dani floated over to him.

"You guys okay?" Logan asked.

"Yeah, we're fine," Danny replied.

"Um… who are you?" Dani asked.

A blue ring appeared around Specter's waist and he reverted back to human form. Dani's mouth hung open in disbelief.

"Sure paints a picture, doesn't it?" Trevor asked.

All Dani could do was blink.

"I'm guessing you have a lot of-" Trevor began.

"You're like me and Danny!? You have ghost powers!? What kind of powers do you have!?"

Questions poured out of Dani as floated around Trevor in amazement.

"… questions," Trevor moaned as he rubbed his forehead, "I wonder why I have this feeling of déjà vu."

And glanced over at Danny and tossed him the Fenton Thermos as Dani's questions continued without end.

"Send him back to the Ghost Zone, Phantom," Trevor ordered, "And I must say, that speed of yours has improved quickly."

"That might be the first compliment you've ever given me," Danny smirked.

"Don't let it go to your head," Trevor sighed.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

A few hours later, everyone was in the living room. Save for Jack and Maddie, who were working in the lab, Danny, Tucker, and Sam were finishing up their homework while Trevor was finishing his story to Danielle.

"Wow…" said Danielle, "A _time-traveler_!"

"Yes," Trevor replied.

"From the _future_?" Danielle asked.

"Yes," Trevor replied.

"And you have to fight this… Reaper guy and bring him back to your time," said Danielle.

"Correct."

A thought crossed Danny's mind.

"Hey, why don't we have Danielle help us?" he suggested, "She's a tough fighter after all."

"Yeah, that sounds like an idea, Danny," Tucker agreed, 'The more help, the better. Right, Trevor?"

"Uh… I dunno…" he admitted.

"What!?" Danny and Danielle exclaimed.

"Look, don't get me wrong, I'd be a foot to turn down help," Trevor explained, "The thing is, how much help can she actually provide _reliably_?"

Danielle frowned.

"What do you mean 'reliably'!?" she exclaimed, "Are you saying I'm weak!?"

"That's not what I meant," said Trevor, "That was a poor choice of words on my part. Ummm… How should I put this?"

"What he means," Dust began as she ruffled her feathers, "is that he's worried that Reaper will be too much for her to handle in battle."

Danielle glared at Trevor.

"Uh… that's part of it," he mumbled, "Look, Reaper is the most dangerous foe anyone has ever faced. I nearly _died_ before I followed him here. And the last time we fought him, we were lucky."

"He does bring up a good point," said Sam.

Danny raised an eyebrow at her.

"I'm not saying Danielle shouldn't help, but Trevor's right," Sam explained, "We've never faced anyone or anything like Reaper before."

"Before?" Trevor asked.

"I can handle anyone!" Danielle exclaimed before turning to Trevor, "And if you don't think I can, then train me!"

"Train you?" Trevor asked.

"You heard me," said Danielle before she went ghost, "I want you to train me like you train Danny."

Trevor got up from the chair he was sitting in and approached Dani. He looked into her eyes for a moment before speaking.

"Alright, fine," he said, "You want to help? You just need to do one thing."

"And what's that?" Dani asked.

"Impress me," Trevor smirked.

No one expected that.

"What!?" Dani exclaimed, "That's it!?"

Trevor shrugged and went ghost.

"You want to help, then impress me," he said, "Call it a test."

"You're on," Dani smirked, "I'll show you what I can do."

She turned around and turned intangible before flying through the wall. The others turned to Specter.

"Specter?" Sam asked, "What are you doing?"

"Well, you guys want Dani's help and I would like as much help as possible, within reason," he explained, "So let's see what she can do."

Before anyone else could contribute to the conversation, Specter had already followed after Dani. Danny, Tucker, and Sam gave each other a worrying look.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Night fell upon Amity Park and the moon shone brightly in the sky. Dani was quickly flying around, looking for any ghosts to prove herself as a valuable team member. Danny and Logan weren't too far behind her. Tucker and Sam were in the Fenton RV, driven by Jack, as Maddie volunteered to stay in the lab and continue working on the Deadshot.

"Why are you so hesitant to have Dani help us?" Danny asked Specter.

The younger halfa glanced over for a moment before answering.

"Look, I get that she's your cousin, or clone, whatever, but I'm not gonna just accept help from anyone that knows how to use a weapon or have ghost powers," he explained.

Suddenly, Danny's ghost sense went off.

"To be continued," Specter said flatly as his eyes began to glow blue and he scanned the area.

"_Guys," _Sam said over the Fenton Phone, _"I'm reading two ghosts just south of your position."_

"_And they are moving really fast," _Tucker added.

"We see them," said Danny.

Down below, Johnny 13 and Kitty were riding Johnny's motorcycle, blazing through the streets.

"Heh, I'll take care of those two," Dani smirked and flew down after them.

"Wait, Dani, no!" Danny exclaimed.

"Too late," Specter sighed, "We better get down there before she starts something."

Riding through the streets, Johnny performed a wheelie on his bike and picked up speed. Suddenly, Dani shot an ecto-disk at the bike, causing it to flip and send Johnny and Kitty flying into the air. The landed on the ground and tumbled a few feet before halting.

"Uhh…." Johnny groaned as he got back up and helped Kitty to her feet, "What the heck!?"

"Hey!" Dani shouted, getting their attention, "Don't you two have better things to do than cause trouble?"

"Trouble?" Johnny asked, "You're the one causing trouble! And you just ruined my bike _and _hurt my girl!"

Out of Johnny's sleeve, Shadow appeared and growled at Dani.

"You will pay for that!" Johnny shouted, "Shadow, deal with her!"

Dani's hands began to glow green as Shadow began to charge towards her.

"STOP!" Danny shouted as he and Specter landed between the two.

"Huh? What are you guys doing!?" Dani exclaimed, "I can handle this."

"If they were actually causing trouble, I would agree," said Specter.

Dani raised an eyebrow as Danny turned to face Johnny.

"Sorry about that, Johnny," he said, "She thought you guys were causing trouble, that's all."

"Hmph," Johnny frowned.

"What, can't a couple go out on a night ride without having to be attacked?" Kitty asked, annoyed.

"We'll make sure it doesn't happen again," Specter said over his shoulder as he telekinetically raised Johnny's bike up and placed it next to its owner.

"Now, unless you _want _to give us a reason to return you guys to the Ghost Zone," said Danny, "I suggest you two get back on the bike and leave. _Without causing trouble_."

Johnny and Kitty turned towards each other and nodded.

"Alright, Phantom, we're going," said Johnny, "Shadow! Return!"

Shadow growled at Dani before slithering back to Johnny. The two lovers hopped back onto Johnny's bike and rode off, disappearing in a cloud of dust. Dani slowly backed away before the others could see her.

"As for _you_," Specter said sternly over his shoulder, "_THIS_. _This _is exactly what a feared would happen."

Dani stopped moving and glared at Specter.

"What's that supposed to mean!?" she exclaimed, "How was I supposed to know they weren't causing any trouble?"

At the moment, the Fenton RV drove up nearby. Tucker and Sam slowly made there way out of the vehicle, looking a little green.

"Remind me why we didn't insist on driving the RV ourselves?" Tucker asked Sam.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO KNOW'!?" Logan shouted.

"Uh oh," Same muttered.

Logan took a deep breath and sighed.

"Dani, just because your ghost sense goes off doesn't mean the ghost is causing trouble," Specter explained, "You have to analyze the situation. You have to _think _before acting."

"But those two-" Dani began.

"Don't always cause trouble," Danny interrupted.

"You're taking _his _side!?" Dani exclaimed.

"There are no 'sides', Phantom," Specter told her, "You can't just assume every ghost, or half-ghost, is evil."

"Hmph," Dani muttered, crossing her arms and glancing away.

Danny sighed and approached his 'cousin'.

"Look, I know you're just trying to help," he said, "but if you _really _want to help us take down Reaper, you have to listen to Logan."

"Since when do you take orders from him?" Dani asked with a hint of anger.

"He doesn't," Specter answered as he approached, "How he handles any other ghost is up to him. But Reaper is a different case."

"… Fine," Dani sighed, "Sorry for jumping the gun."

Specter nodded in reply.

"Come on," said Danny, "The night's still young. I'm sure there will be other ghosts you can fight."

"I'll patrol the north part of town with her," said Specter, "You and the others can patrol the other parts of town."

Dani gave Specter a suspicious look.

"You sure?" Danny asked.

"Not really," Specter replied, "but I have yet to be impressed."

"I got it!" Dani exclaimed.

Everyone turned to face her.

"How about I fight _you_?" she challenged Specter.

Everyone stared at Dani in disbelief.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

In the Ghost Zone, Skulker was visiting Ember at her domaining. He was pacing back and forth, trying to understand what he had seen. Ember was nearby, tuning her guitar.

"I couldn't believe what I saw," Skulker ranted, "Two! There were _two_ of them!"

"Uh huh," Ember noted, not really paying attention.

"It was bad enough that there was another that came from the future, but _this_!?" Skulker exclaimed, "I heard rumors that there was another Phantom, but I never believed it myself."

Ember briefly glanced over before rolling her eyes.

"Clearly the care about each other," Skulker pondered out loud. "Perhaps I could… THAT'S IT!"

He activated his jet pack and rocketed out of Ember's home.

"Uh, bye?" Ember said before focusing back on her guitar, "***Sigh* **Why do I even date him?"

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

The next day, Danny, Tucker, and Sam were sitting down in the school cafeteria, eating their lunch.

"She's crazy!" Danny exclaimed, "Trevor will tear her to shreds if they fight!"

"Danny, relax," said Sam, "I doubt Trevor will actually hurt her or anything."

"Like how he didn't hurt Danny yesterday when he opened the front door?" Tucker asked.

"On top of that, Danielle managed to deal with Box Ghost, Spectra, and Technus all by herself yesterday and all Trevor would say was 'still not impressed'," Danny added.

"… Okay, so maybe Trevor won't hurt her _that _much," Sam corrected, "I have to agree that it seems a bit rash for her to challenge him like that."

"And he's actually going to go through with it!" Danny exclaimed, "I know she wants to help, but this is-"

"We get it, dude," said Tucker, "You know, Trevor does bring up a good point; besides you, and Valerie, has Danielle actually ever worked together with anyone before?"

Danny sighed.

"I doubt it," he replied, "I mean, for all I know, she's a loner. She has traveled around the country for the past couple of months alone, so it's anyone's guess."

"What do you think she's up do right now?" Sam asked.

"Well, if I had to guess," Danny replied, "she's probably doing nothing right now."

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

At the Fenton Works, Jack, Maddie, and Trevor were busy focusing on a broken part of the Deadshot while Dust, in her normal form, was kneeling on the ground, doing research on Danny's laptop. Danielle came downstairs and wandered around the lab.

"Shouldn't you be getting ready?" Trevor asked over his shoulder.

"For what? Wiping your face off the wall?" Danielle challenged.

Even Dust raised an eyebrow at that remark.

"Looks can be deceiving, Danielle," Trevor replied, "What if we tried using some form of resin? Like you use for the Chiller? That could hold the two pieces together."

"We can't," Maddie explained, "The metal used to make this weapon prevents good surface contact with all the resins we've tested."

"We could try holding it together with small metal bands," Jack suggested, "It's crude, but it might work."

"No, we can't do that either," Trevor replied, "This part already fits tightly inside the rifle. We can't change the proportions at any point."

"You know, you say I should prepare, so why don't you?" Danielle asked.

At that moment, Maddie grabbed Trevor by the collar of his shirt and tried to punch him in the face. Trevor's head went intangible at the same time he grabbed the arm holding his collar. Maddie's fist went through his head as he dropped himself onto the ground, on his back, pulling Maddie down and kicking her over him. Maddie lost her grip as she landed on the ground, hard. Trevor quickly sprang back to his feet and brushed himself off.

"Nice try, Mrs. Fenton," said Trevor as he helped her up.

"I was just proving your point to Danielle," she explained, "Looks can truly be decieveing."

Danielle rubbed her chin as she thought over what had just happened. Unknown to everyone, a ghost was forcing his way through the Fenton Ghost Portal. Skulker quickly forced the doors open just enough for him to squeeze through and close behind him. He was invisible, so no one could see him. But that didn't stop Danielle's ghost sense from going off.

"Uh-oh," she said, "I think trouble's coming."

At that moment, Skulker activated a hologram on his glove that replicated a human handprint. He floated over to the door controls and pressed his thumb on the scanner. A moment later the Fenton Ghost Portal opened.

"Good thing I took that big one's prints a long time ago," Skulker chuckled to himself.

"Huh?" Jack exclaimed, "The Portal's opening!"

"Hm?" Trevor groaned, turning towards the Portal.

Suddenly, three ectopuses shot out of the Portal and began flying around the lab.

"Ectopuses?" Trevor asked as he went ghost, "Seriously?"

He flew up and grabbed one of them. It wrapped its tentacles around his arm and began wrestling with him.

"Come on, don't be like this," he moaned.

Behind him, another ectopus floated up and charged at him. Maddie hopped on top of the table and vaulted herself up into the air. As the second ectopus reached towards Specter, Maddie flipped through the air and did a flying kick into the ghost's head. It slammed into the wall as Jack picked up the Fenton Ghost Chiller and aimed it at the ghost.

"I don't know how you ghosts got out of the Ghost Zone," said Jack, "but we're putting you back inside!"

The ectopus recovered and began flying around as Jack fired wildly at it. The Danielle watched at the third ectopus flew upstairs.

"One of them is getting away!" she exclaimed as went ghost, "I'm going after it!"

She flew after it, not knowing that Skulker was following her. Specter glanced over his shoulder just after Skulker was up the stairway. Outside, Dani was catching up to the escaped ectopus. It flew around a corner and looked back to see that it lost her.

***BAM***

Dani managed to get in front of the ectopus and punched it into a nearby building.

"Thought you could lose me, huh?" she taunted as she pulled out a Fenton Thermos, "Well, too bad for you. Nothing can stop Dani Phantom!"

She pulled the cap off and aimed the Thermos at the ghost. The energy beam grabbed the ectopus and pulled it inside the Thermos. Dani slapped the cap on the Thermos and raised her fists in the air.

"Ha! I did it!" she exclaimed before her face fell, "Not that it'll be impressive to Trevor."

She glanced down at the Thermos and sighed.

"Might as well head back," she sighed, "How am I supposed to impress him?"

Something appeared behind Dani, towering over her and engulfing her in its shadow.

"And what makes you think you're going anywhere?" Skulker asked.

Dani spun around in time to see Skulker aim his wrist cannon at her and fire at her.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Back at Casper High, Danny, Tucker, and Sam were on their way to their next classes, walking up a flight of stairs. Halfway up, Danny stopped in his tracks and had a thought. Tucker and Sam noticed Danny was next to them and turned around to find him deep in thought.

'Danny?" Sam asked, "You alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," he replied, "I just… I can't help but feel like something's wrong."

Suddenly, his ghost sense went off and his eyes widened.

"Oh, no," he moaned, "Not again."

"GHOST!" a student shouted from the halls, causing everyone else to start panicking.

Danny, Tucker, and Sam rushed up the stairs and into the hall. As students and teachers ran past them, Danny could see what was causing the chaos. Down the hall was Skulker and he threw something in his direction.

***SMASH***

The thing, which slammed into some lockers, turned out to be Dani, and she was looking a little worn out. She glanced over to the others as she pried herself out of the metal.

"Hey, guys," she moaned weakly before slumping to the ground unconscious.

A white ring appeared around her waist and she reverted back to human.

"Danielle!?" Danny exclaimed as he rushed over to her side.

Just as he got beside her, a green net flew across the air and trapped Danny inside.

"WHOA!" Danny exclaimed as the net was reeled back to Skulker.

"Finally," the hunter smirked, "Now I have you both."

A white ring appeared around Danny's waist, but just as he began to go ghost, Skulker pulled out what appeared to be a modified cattle prod and shocked Danny with it, preventing him from going ghost and knocking him out.

"DANNY!" Tucker and Sam exclaimed.

At the moment, Danielle began to stir. Tucker and Sam heard her move and turned back to her.

"We got to get her out of here!" said Sam as she and Tucker rushed over and picked her up but the arms while Skulker was distracted with having Danny captured.

"I'll call Trevor," Tucker said as he pulled out the Fenton Phone.

They rushed off downstairs just as Skulker glanced back down the hall.

"Hm!? Where'd she go!?" he exclaimed, looking around the area, "Huh… no matter; she doesn't stand a chance against me anyways. Might as well have her come to _me_."

He turned intangible and flew off, carrying the netted Danny over his shoulder.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

A couple of hours later, Danielle woke up with a start.

"Danny!" she exclaimed as she sat up.

She looked around briefly, realizing she was back in Jazz's room, in bed.

"It's about time you woke up."

Dani looked over and saw Trevor leaning against the far wall. He did not look pleased.

"Where's Danny!?" Danielle exclaimed, getting out of bed.

Trevor stepped in front of the door, blocking her way.

"Not so fast," he said, "You've got some explaining to do."

"What!?" she exclaimed, "We have to save Danny!"

"Relax, Fenton," Trevor told her, "Tucker and Sam gave me the short version; mind telling me what happened when you went after the ectopus?"

Danielle tried to walk around Trevor but he kept getting in his way.

"Are you seriously gonna let Skulker get away with this!?" she exclaimed.

"No," Trevor replied, "But given what I know about Skulker, I doubt he'll do anything to Danny."

"And why's that?" Danielle asked, getting irritated and crossing her arms.

"You tell me," said Trevor.

Danielle glared at him.

"Fine," she muttered, "I went after the ghost, but as soon as I caught it, metal head snuck up from behind me and attacked."

"… Go on," Trevor said, waving his hand.

"I tried fighting him alone and I got my butt kicked, alright!?" Danielle shouted, "I was wrong, you were right! I should have called you and asked for help, but I was too focused on trying to impress you that I screwed everything up and got Danny captured. Happy!?"

"Never," Trevor dryly joked, 'But I am glad to see that you are learning a lesson. I hope."

"So what now?" Danielle asked, "I don't even know where Skulker could be hiding Danny."

"Oh?" Trevor asked, "Are you so certain? Let me ask you something, why was Skulker going after _you_?"

"Huh? I… Uh…"

Danielle thought it over for a moment before answering.

"Because he was after Danny at first for being a half-ghost and since there are two, he wants us both?" she guessed.

"Bingo," said Trevor, "But what do you think he had planned for you?"

"He's a hunter… so he wanted me… for bait?"

"Keep this up and there's a slim chance you might actually impress me," said Trevor.

"He wanted to use me as bait to trap Danny because he knew Danny would come and rescue me," Danielle continued, "But now that Danny's been captured instead, he's gonna use the same plan, but on me instead!"

Trevor began to slowly clap.

"Well done," he said.

"So… I impressed you?"

"Nope. Not even close," Trevor replied, "But you certainly have shown that your capable of using your head. Come on."

Trevor turned around and headed out the door.

"Uh, what?" Danielle asked, "Where are we going?"

"To where Skulker is waiting for you," Trevor replied.

"But we don't even know where-"

Danielle paused for a moment again.

"The Ghost Zone?" she asked.

Trevor stopped in his tracks and looked over his shoulder.

"Judging by the way you said that, I'm guessing you've never been _inside _the Ghost Zone before, have you?" he asked.

Danielle shook her head.

"Hmm… didn't expect that," said Trevor, "Well, first time for everything. Don't worry, I know where Skulker's domain is."

"Domain?" Danielle asked as she followed Trevor.

"Wow, you know _nothing _about the Ghost Zone, do you?" Trevor asked.

"All I know is that's where ghosts live," Danielle replied.

"Well, I'll give the short version about it on our way there," said Trevor.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

A minute later, Trevor and Danielle arrived in labs down below and walked past Jack and Maddie, who were still scratching their heads over the damaged Deadshot part.

"What if we tried-" Jack began.

"Can't solder it together, Mr. Fenton," Trevor said as he walked past him, "The Deadshot's internal temperature reaches levels much higher than necessary to melt solder."

"Curses!" Jack hissed, "Who made this infernal weapon!?"

"You and your wife did," Trevor smirked as he and Danielle stopped in front of the Fenton Ghost Portal.

"DAMN YOU, FENTOOOOOONS!" Jack screamed, causing everyone to turn and raise an eyebrow.

"Wow, never thought I'd see the day that Jack Fenton would say _that_," Trevor dryly joked, "Now if you're done having your episodic moment, can you open the Portal for us?"

"What?" Jack asked, glancing over at the two halfas, "Why?"

"Just need to do something in there," Trevorreplied.

Danielle glanced over and raised an eyebrow as Trevor leaned over towards her ear.

"We didn't tell them that Danny was captured," he whispered, "Best if we don't cause panic."

"Well, I don't see any harm in that," said Jack as he walked over to the door controls and pressed his thumb against the scanner.

As soon as the Fenton Ghost Portal opened, Trevor and Danielle transformed into their ghost forms and floated a couple inches off the ground.

"Be safe, you two!" Maddie called out.

"Uh, yeah!" Danielle exclaimed nervously, "We-we will!"

"Come on," said Logan, "And stay close. It's extremely easy to get lost in there."

Specter flew inside and Dani followed after him.

"What do you mean it's easy to get-"

Dani froze as soon as she was inside the Ghost Zone for the first time in her life.

"Oh," she said, "_Now _I see."

She glanced around looking at the strange, foreign world she was in.

"We can go sightseeing later," said Specter, snapping Dani out of her trance, "Unless you don't want to save your cousin."

Specter began flying off and Dani followed him.

"Well, duh, I want to save him!" she exclaimed, "Wait… did you say '_we_ can go sightseeing later'?"

Specter's eyes slightly widened, and a faint blush appeared on his face.

"No," he replied, "I said _you _can."

"Uh-uh," said Dani, "You said 'we'."

"Uh… slip of the tongue then," Specter replied, making sure Dani didn't see him blush.

Dani gave him a suspicious glance as she stayed close to him. Back in the labs, Jack and Maddie were back to work. Dust was sitting at the table nearby, doing more research.

"So, you're not gonna go help them rescue Danny?" she asked over her shoulder.

"I want nothing more than to save my baby boy and _strangle _the ghost that kidnapped him," Maddie hissed, "But I'm sure those two can handle it themselves."

Maddie paused for a moment.

"Besides," she added, "I think it'll help Trevor to spend some time alone with Danielle. She seems to have quite an effect on him."

"Yes," Dust smirked, "Yes, she does indeed."

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Danny slowly regained consciousness.

"Ugh," he groaned, "Huh!?"

He glanced around and realized he was in the Ghost Zone. He then looked down and noticed that not only was he trapped inside a metal cage hung from a ghostly looking tree, but he was also encased in a familiar black looking cube.

"Just perfect," Danny moaned.

"Ah, I see you've finally woken up."

Danny glanced to the side and saw Skulker smirking at him as he was leaning against the tree.

"Surprised to be trapped in that stupid cube again, ghost boy?" Skulker asked, "Took me weeks to steal one from Plasmius' labs."

Danny glanced down at the Spectral Energy Neutralizer******

"Since I'm not a pelt yet, I'm guessing Danielle is still safe."

"For now," Skulker replied, "But the thrill of the hunt never ceases for me."

"So, what now?" Danny asked, annoyed, "Use me as bait to catch her?"

"More or less," Skulker replied before walking away into the tall grass.

Danny sighed.

"I really hope she doesn't do anything stupid this time," he moaned as he stared out into the vastness of the Ghost Zone.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

A few minutes later, Specter and Dani approached Skulker's Island.

"Is that it?" Dani asked.

"Yup," Specter replied, "We'll sneak on the island from below."

The two half-ghosts flew down and under the island, where they turned intangible and flew into the island. On the surface, the phased through the ground and turned tangible again.

"Why are we doing this?" Dani asked, "Couldn't we just flying overhead and look down?"

"We could," Logan replied, "but Skulker would easily see us on his numerous scanners that way."

"What do we do now?"

"***Sigh* **I hate to admit it," Specter grumbled, "but it looks like we'll have to split up."

Dani raised an eyebrow.

"I don't like it either, but it'll be faster if we do it this way," Specter explained as he pulled out his Fenton Phone and put it on, "We'll stay in contact, but keep it short and quiet."

"What about Skulker?" Dani asked as she put hers on.

"We'll handle him when we need to," said Specter, "Keep your eyes and ear open."

"If you say so," Dani replied.

"We better get a move on," said Specter, "Good luck."

Dani nodded and began making her way through the tall grass.

"Hmm…" Specter hummed, rubbing his chin as he watched her disappear.

A moment later he blinked away, followed by Skulker making himself visible again a foot from where Specter was standing. He low chuckle escaped his mouth as he began stalking Dani.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Time went by and Dani was still searching for Danny.

"Danny?" she whispered as she poked her head out of some more tall grass, "***Sigh* **He's not here either."

She scratched the back of her head for a moment before glancing up in the air. She was barely a couple inches off the ground before she paused.

"No, can't fly," she reminded herself as she landed back onto the ground, "I can't let Skulker get the drop on me again."

Dani tapped her Fenton Phone and called Specter.

"Specter? You there?"

No reply. She waited a couple of seconds before reaching out again.

"Specter? Can you hear me?"

Silence. Dani combed her fingers through her hair and began to panic.

"Okay, okay, calm down, Dani," she told herself, "Just take a deep breath and relax."

She did just that and was able to calm down.

"Alright, let's just keep searching and we'll find Danny in no time. Right?" she asked herself, "Right."

She continued trekking through the tall grass for a few seconds before she heard something.

"Uuuurrrghhh…"

"Hm?"

"Uuuuhh… come on…"

"Is that… Danny?"

Danielle peered through the grass and saw Danny trapped inside the cage and Neutralizer.

"It _is_ Danny!" she quietly exclaimed.

Danny was struggling in his restraints, trying to break free. Unfortunately, he hasn't made any progress. Dani was about to come out and free him but she didn't move. Specter's words floated through her mind.

"_You have to analyze the situation. You have to __**think**__ before acting."_

"Think before I act, huh?" she repeated to herself.

She glanced around the area and began thinking.

"Alright, Logan," she said to herself, "let's see what you think about _this_."

Nearby, Skulker was waiting patiently for Dani to go and save Danny from his cage. Or at least _try _to save him. He was looking through his scanner, watching Danny as he waited for his prey to arrive.

"Any second now that ghost girl will go in and try to save the ghost boy, unknowingly setting off my trap," he smirked.

***SHING!***

"Speak of the devil," said Skulker.

He erupted from the grass and glanced towards his hidden trap.

"Ah-HA!" he exclaimed, "I have you now-"

Skulker paused and his face fell when he realized the metal cage was empty.

"Ghost girl?" he said with uncertainty.

"Looking for me!?"

***POW***

Dani phased out of the ground and gave Skulker an uppercut, sending him up into the air and crashing into the hanging cage Danny was in, causing it to break free from the tree and crash into the ground. Dust engulfed Danny and Skulker as Dani landed on the ground.

"Danny!" she called out with her hands up to her mouth, "Are you okay!?"

Suddenly, a flash of light erupted from the dust cloud.

***WHAM***

Then Skulker was sent flying out of the dust, sailing over Dani and slammed into a larger rock nearby.

"That was for going after my cousin," Danny said angrily.

Dani turned around as the dust cleared and saw Danny Phantom standing in front of debris from the cage and the Neutralizer he was in.

"Danny!" she exclaimed and practically tackled him to the ground in a hug, "You're okay!"

"Hey, I'm fine," Danny replied, hugging her back, "I'm just glad _you're _okay."

They continued hugging for a few seconds before pulling away.

"How'd you find me?" Danny asked, "I didn't know you knew your way around the Ghost Zone."

"I don't," Dani began to explain, "I had help from-"

Suddenly, Skulker rocketed toward the two Phantoms with his wrist cannons readied.

"I'm gonna take both of your pelts! NOW!" he shouted.

Dani spun her head around and she and Danny were inches away from Skulker's glowing weapons. Dani's began to glow green as she raised them up and created a ghost shield around herself and Danny. Skulker slammed into it and bounced off, crashing back into the ground.

"Uhhh…" he moaned.

Danny blinked a couple of times before turning to his female clone.

"You can create ghost shields now?" he asked.

"Hey, I've done more than just travel, remember?" Dani smirked over her shoulder as she lowered the shield.

She helped Danny up to his feet. A slow clap from nearby startled the two and they turned around the find Specter floating nearby, clapping.

"Well done," he said.

"How long have you been here?" Dani asked.

"Oh, I've been keeping my eye on you the whole time," he replied.

"Wait, if you've been here the whole time, why didn't you just use your… what do you call it again…? Ghost vision?" Danny asked.

"I knew where you were the moment we arrived here," Specter answered as he floated over to them, "I just wanted to see how well your cousin can handle herself."

"What!?" Dani exclaimed, "You knew where he was and you didn't tell me!?"

"Uh, yeeaahhh…" Specter replied, rolling his eyes, "You think I'm just gonna hold your hand through every challenge life throws at you?"

He paused for a moment and thought of what to say next.

"And I have to admit, you did pretty well just now, Dani."

"I did?" Danny asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Not you, Phantom!" Specter snapped, "Don't pull that joke on me."

He turned back to Dani.

"You didn't just jump in and try to save Danny, did you?" he asked.

"No, remembered what you said," she replied, "Think before acting, right?"

"Mm-hm," Specter replied, "And wasn't bad at all."

"Did I impress you?" Dani asked with some hope in her voice.

"No," Specter replied, "But it's a work in progress."

Behind the Phantoms, Skulker picked himself up and glared at the half-ghosts. He aimed his right wrist cannon at Dani and fired.

"LOOK OUT!" Specter shouted as he shoved Dani out of the way.

As Dani landed on her back, the ghost ray hit Specter in the chest and slammed him into the tree.

"UGH!" he grunted and slumped to the ground.

"Specter!" Phantom and Dani exclaimed.

They turned towards Skulker and glared at him. Skulker's eyes widened as the two Phantoms stood side by side and cracked their knuckles as their burning green eyes bored into him.

"Uh-oh."

***BAM***

Danny punched Skulker across the face.

***POW***

Dani kicked him in the back.

"Rggh…" Skulker growled as he was taken back a couple of steps.

He looked up and gasped as the two Phantoms flew next to each other and rocketed towards him. They each pulled back a fist and socked him in the face.

***KAPOW***

Skulker was launched into the air and landed on his back. His armor was sparking with electricity and a few cracks had formed on it.

"Good teamwork," the larger half-ghost said as the two high-fived each other.

Suddenly, Dani's eyes widened.

"Specter!" she exclaimed as she whipped her head around.

"I'm fine, Dani," Specter replied, startling her when she noticed he was standing a foot behind her, "You two alright?"

"Yeah, we're fine," Danny replied.

"Glad to see you're okay as well," Dani added.

"Heh. It'll take a lot more than just a ghost ray to take me out," said Specter.

"Thanks for getting me out of there, Danielle," said Danny.

"Well, someone had to save your trapped butt," she chuckled.

She took a quick glance around.

"Umm… can we leave?" she asked, "The Ghost Zone gives me the creeps."

Danny raised an eyebrow.

"It's her first time in here," Specter explained, "But we should leave; no point in wasting time around here."

Danny nodded and the three flew away from Skulker's island. As they disappeared into the distance, Skulker managed to get back up and looked up to where they had gone.

"You may have escaped me this time," he said grimly, "but the hunt's _far _from over."

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Some time later, Danny, now in his human form, walked into his room, where Trevor and Danielle were waiting. Danny closed the door behind him and sighed.

"Finally had enough of your parents joy to see you in one piece?" Danielle asked.

"Yeah, well, parents, ya know?" Danny shrugged.

Danielle's face fell and she glanced away. Danny immediately realized what he said.

"Sorry, Danielle, I didn't mean it like that," Danny apologized.

"No, it's fine, Danny," she replied.

Danny and Trevor glanced at each other.

"Something on your mind, Danielle?" Danny asked.

She took a deep breath and sighed.

"I know this may sound sudden, but… I think I should get back to my travels," she said.

Danny and Trevor stared dumbly at her for a couple of seconds.

"WHAT!?" they exclaimed.

"But… you've only been here for a couple of days," said Danny, "You don't _have _to leave now!"

"I know," said Danielle, "But… I've only caused trouble since I got here. I don't want to be a burden to you."

"Who said you were a burden?" Trevor asked.

Danny and Danielle gave him a look.

"Uh-uh," he said, "Don't put this on me; I never said she was useless or a pain. She just needs training."

"That's not why I'm leaving," Danielle explained, "Well, maybe a little, but that's not why. I still want to travel and see places."

"Oh…" said Danny, slightly disappointed, "I was hoping you would stay longer. I never get to see you."

Danielle gave him a sad smile and walked up to him. She gave him a hug and leaned up, giving him a quick peck on the cheek.

"I know," she said, "But don't worry, I'll come back more often. I promise."

"If you say so, Danielle," said Danny.

Danielle turned to Trevor, who quickly glanced away when she saw him staring at her.

"Well, uh… have a safe travel," he said awkwardly, "Umm… you did good today. If I see you again, maybe I can train you a little."

Danielle smirked and approached Trevor, making him feel a little uncomfortable.

"Uh, I don't do hugs," Trevor told her.

However, instead of a hug, Danielle leaned over and pecked him on the cheek. Trevor's entire face instantly turned red and his eyes widened.

"Uh… what was that for?" he asked as he turned to face her.

"Thanks for protecting me," she said, "When Skulker tried to blast me."

"Oh, uh, right," Trevor replied, "You're… ***Ahem* **You're welcome."

Danny smirked at Trevor's discomfort. Danielle backed away and a white ring appeared around her waist and she went ghost.

"Wait, you're leaving _now_!?" Danny exclaimed.

"Yeah," Dani replied, "I know we didn't get to hang out much, but you have more important things to worry about than me."

"More important than family?" he quipped.

"You know what I mean," Dani giggled, "But it's sweet of you to think of me as family."

She gave Danny one last hug and pulled away.

"Bye, Dani," said Danny.

"See ya, cuz," she waved, "Bye, Trevor. Stay safe. I'll see you guys again soon. Oh, and tell Tucker and Sam I wish them the best."

Dani turned around and flew out of Danny's bedroom window. Danny walked over to his bedroom window and watched her disappear into the distance. He turned around and saw Trevor staring absentmindedly into space. A faint but noticeable smile appeared on his face has he gently touched his cheek where Danielle kissed him.

"Bye, Danielle," he said softly.

Danny chuckled and Trevor snapped back into his usual serious demeanor.

"What?" he asked.

"Never thought you'd have a crush on someone in the past, let alone my cousin," Danny chuckled.

"Shut up," Trevor muttered, rolling his eyes, "And don't tell Tucker or Sam; I'd never hear the end of it."

"I won't need to," Danny smirked.

"And why's that?"

"Because we already know," said a female voice.

Trevor glanced over and saw Tucker and Sam standing in the doorway.

"Oh, perfect," he muttered.

"And we saw _everything_," Sam added with a smirk.

"Trevor and Danielle sittin' in a tree," Tucker began singing, causing Trevor's eyes to burn blue and glare at him, "K-I-S-S-"

Trevor telekinetically picked up Danny's pillow and threw it at Tucker, smacking him in the face and shutting him up.

"Ow," Tucker moaned.

"Oh, shut up, Tucker, it was just a pillow," Trevor remarked, "Now, don't you guys have homework to do or something before patrol tonight?"

"Nope," Tucker replied.

"But _he_ does," Sam smirked, glancing over at Danny.

"Oh, right…" he moaned, "How much did I miss at school today?"

"Just a couple of assignments," Sam answered as she walked over and handed Danny some notes, "I had a couple of your classmates copy notes for you."

"Thanks, Sam."

Trevor went ghost and floated towards the window.

"Where are you going?" Danny asked.

"I need a nap," Specter replied, "I haven't slept in a couple of days."

He phased through the wall and flew away.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Night had arrived by the time Specter reached Sam's home. He phased into the guest room he was staying in and reverted back to human form. He sighed and walked over to the bed. He got down and pulled a high-tech box from under the bed. It was charcoal grey in color, had a cylindrical lid and a handprint scanner the glowed green. He placed his hand on the scanner and it opened. He reached inside and pulled out a holographic data pad.

"_Still haven't told them, have you?" _Dust asked him telepathically.

Trevor looked over and saw his feathered companion perched on a nearby shelf.

"No… I haven't," he replied.

"_Are you going to?"_

"Not yet," he replied, "Not until I'm certain that this is true."

He glanced back inside the box and noticed something.

"Hm?"

"_What is it?"_

"… nothing," Trevor replied as he reached into his pocket and put it and the data pad back inside, "Just a… reminder."

He closed the lid and pushed it back under the bed. He then flopped onto the bed and moaned.

"She on your mind?" Dust asked audibly.

"Por la amo de Dio, you too?" Trevor asked, annoyed.

**(For the love of God,…)**

"I think it's rather sweet that you finally have a crush on someone."

Trevor gave Dust a hard side-eye. Dust realized what she said and was about to follow up.

"We'll discuss that comment another time," Trevor yawned, "Right now, I need some sleep."

He rubbed his hands across his face and sighed.

"Why does everything have be more complicated?" he muttered to himself.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

As Dani Phantom flew away from Amity Park, she was unaware of a small surveillance camera following her around and transmitting live footage to its creator.

"Well, isn't this a pleasant surprise," said Vlad Masters, "Little Danielle has gone off exploring once more. And she has quite the impact on Specter as well."

An evil grin appeared on Vlad's face as he sat back in his office chair and began formulating a plan.

"So many questions for you, young one," he smirked, "I wonder how everyone will react to _your _secrets."

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

**{Notes}**

*** Any guesses as to who this is? You phans should know. I'm not gonna say anything. *Smirk***

**** The Spectral Energy Neutralizer is the device that Vlad trapped Danny inside in the episodes "Bitter Reunions" and "Kindred Spirits".**

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

**Did I do good? Is this as good as I did months ago with Season 3? No! Of course not! Don't worry, I've got A LOT in store for Season 4.**

**I want to point out that new episodes will be uploaded randomly; I don't really have a set schedule yet of when I'll write this and my other story, which I've been banging my head on the wall over, trying to get done.**

**Oh, and SuchTalesPhantasmic? Yeah, I know… look, I had this planned LONG before you even posted that review. But don't be deceived; their relationship will be interesting, but it may (or may not) go that far.**

**Like, follow, and please review! Until next time!**

**~ThePhantomHedgehog**


	2. Episode 62: Power Hungry

**Hello once again, phans!**

**Not much to say this time, other than, yes, BG224, he DOES talk a lot like Damian. I guess watching all those animated Batman movies have been rubbing off on me. And don't worry, there will be PLENTY of twists and liberties you'll never have seen coming.**

**Also, just a heads up, ya might want to reread your review. I know what you **_**meant **_**to say, but… *chuckle***

**Ver. 1.0.0 (1/24/20)**

**Ver. 1.0.1 (2/1/20)**

**Update (1.0.1): Added a note at the end.**

**Standard Disclaimer, I do not own Danny Phantom, and I'm not gonna pay Nickelodeon a shit-ton of money. What? I'm not made of frickin' money. Okay, let's begin the episode.**

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Somewhere in the Ghost Zone, Team Phantom was flying around, looking for the Orbs of Power. Phantom, Specter, and Dust were leading Tucker and Sam, who were in the Specter Speeder.

"Any readings?" Danny asked into his Fenton Phone.

"_Nothing," _Tucker replied.

"_We've been flying around for hours now," _said Sam, _"Maybe we should call it a day."_

"No one said you guys _had _to stick around," said Specter, "but if you guys are too busy with school…"

"School can wait," said Danny, "Saving the world? Not so much."

***Beep beep beep***

"_Hold on…"_ said Sam, _"We're getting a weird energy reading."_

"Where's it coming from?" Specter asked.

"_It's coming from… there," _Tucker replied as he pointed towards a large structure in the distance.

The team flew over and approached what turned out to be an old medieval looking fortress on a floating island.

"A castle?" Danny asked.

"_Fortress_," Specter corrected as he pulled out his cellphone, "Looks similar to the one depicted in the photo. Hmm… don't see any way inside."

"_Shouldn't be a problem for us," _said Sam, _"Aren't __**we **__the ghosts in the Ghost Zone?"_

Danny and Specter glanced at each other and floated down to the ground and reverted to their human form. They pressed their hands against the stone walls, but they didn't phase through.

"Hmm… that's strange," said Danny as he and Trevor went ghost, "We can't phase through it."

"_Any reason why?" _Tucker asked.

"Maybe some sort of magic?" Dust suggested.

"Regardless, we'll need to find a way inside," said Danny, "There must be a door or a window or… _something_."

Specter nodded in agreement and the team split up, flying around the fortress looking for a way inside. A couple of minutes passed when Danny found a small circular window in one of the towers up above.

"Guys," he said into the Fenton Phone, "I found a way inside."

A few seconds later, everyone had joined Danny. Tucker and Sam hopped out of the Speeder and Specter and Danny carried them inside, with Dust close behind. It was dark and the light that Phantom and Specter naturally gave off barely helped. Specter's eyes began to glow blue.

"Wow," he muttered, "even my enhanced vision can't see shit in this darkness."

A moment later, they reached the floor. As soon as Danny let Sam go, he held up his hands and created a ball of light in each, instantly illuminating the room they were in.

"Nothing in here," said Tucker as everyone glanced around the empty room.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious," said Specter, "Anything else you wanna add?"

"Ummm…" said Tucker as he noticed a stairwell that headed downstairs, "Maybe we should-"

He stopped talking when Specter raised an eyebrow at him as he created a ball of light in his right hand.

"Never mind," Tucker conceded.

Danny led everyone downstairs with Specter, and Dust on his shoulder, taking the rear. Halfway down the rotating stairs, more of the room they were descending into was illuminated.

"Wow," said Sam, "It's an enormous library!"

Although they haven't reached the floor yet, the bookshelves towered the team as the walls were encased with countless books.

"Stay focused, Manson," said Specter as he glanced over to her, "We're looking for the Orbs of Power, not-"

He stopped when he noticed Sam pulling a couple of books off the shelves as the continued descending down the stairs.

"Huh… it's all gothic literature and-" Sam began to say before she reached for another book and noticed her hand phasing through the shelf, "Huh? I guess that still works _inside_."

"Is _now _really the time?" Specter asked with a sigh.

"Oops, sorry," Sam nervously chuckled and she put the books behind her back.

"***Sniff-sniff* **You guys smell that?" Tucker asked.

"Yeah," Danny replied, "It smells like something's burning."

"Look!" Sam exclaimed quietly, pointing towards the entryway below.

A mysterious purple light was emanating from the next room. The team quietly made their way over to the next room and poked their heads around the corner. Inside was another library, but it was smaller. There were strange runes on the ground with green candles burning a purple flame. And in the center of the room was an even brighter glowing purple sphere.

"The Orb of Knowledge," Specter breathed.

Everyone entered the room and slowly approached the Orb.

"Wait!" Danny hissed, blocking everyone with his arms, "Something's not right."

"What do you mean?" Tucker asked, "The Orb is just floating there for us to take. Although… it does seem suspicious."

A dark shadow darted behind the group.

"Is it just me? Or do these runes look familiar?" Dust asked.

Danny glanced down at one of the runes for a moment before his eyes widened.

"These runes… they're the same ones I've seen when we fought-"

"Me."

Everyone spun around and saw a familiar looking magic-wielding ghost.

"Magnus!?" Danny exclaimed.

"A pleasure to see you all again," the mask wearing magician replied as he flipped through his spell book, "but I'm afraid this is where your journey ends."

***Cue Intro***

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

**Danny Phantom in: Power Hungry (Episode 62)**

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Phantom and Specter quickly got in front of the others and glared at Magnus.

"What are you doing here, Magnus?" Specter asked, "How'd you even find this place?"

"I see no reason to tell you anything, Specter," Magnus replied, "In any case, if you value your lives, I suggest you give me the Orb of Knowledge. We will then go our separate ways and continue with our lives. How does that sound?"

"I'm fine with that," Danny replied, "except _we'll _be taking the Orb, thank you."

"Oh, well," Magnus sighed, "I tried to make things easy for you."

He reached for his belt and grabbed a large vial of ectoplasm.

"Not happening, magician!" Specter exclaimed as he rocketed towards Magnus.

The magician chuckled before teleporting away, causing Specter to stop midair.

"Where'd he go?" Sam asked.

"Xaquin igira soth kalipar!" Magnus chanted from behind the group, getting their attention.

He was floating beside the Orb and had created an orange magical barrier around him.

"I'll be taking my prize and be on my way," said Magnus.

"I don't think so," said Dust as she morphed into her true form.

Her hands began to glow purple and she held them up towards Magnus.

"Kiranann ta sular sinur ast!" she chanted.

"Hm!?" Magnus grunted before he vanished from the center of the room and reappeared outside the barrier, "Hmph… I see you still remember a few tricks."

The barrier vanished and Specter blinked over towards the Orb. As soon as he reached for it, Magnus teleported next to him and kicked him aside.

"OOF!" Specter exclaimed as he slammed into the wall.

"Logan!" Danny exclaimed.

He turned back to Magnus and watch him grab the Orb.

"Finally," he sighed.

Danny glared at the magician and fired a ghost ray towards him. The blast connected with the Orb, knocking it out of Magnus' hand. Magnus turned back to Danny before teleporting towards him. Magnus tried to punch him, but Danny quickly turned intangible, causing Magnus' fist to phase through him. Tucker and Sam ran over towards the Orb while Dust rushed over to Logan's side.

"You okay?" Dust asked.

"I'm fine," Specter moaned as he got up to his feet, "Get inside the medallion. Don't want to replay what happened _last _time."

As Dust dispersed into green energy and took shelter in Specter's time medallion, he glanced over and saw Magnus reaching behind his back for a vial of ectoplasm. Specter blinked over and tried to ram his shoulder into him, but Magnus turned intangible just as he tossed the vial towards the Orb. Specter phased through Magnus and accidentally crashed into Danny.

"Ow…" Danny moaned.

"Sorry, Phantom," said Specter as he helped Danny up.

The glass vial flew over Tucker and Sam and shattered next to the Orb.

"Pveathr tasarak moipar ith!" Magnus chanted.

The puddle of ectoplasm began to bubble and morph, causing Tucker and Sam to stop in their tracks. Suddenly, three archer skeletons erupted from the ectoplasm, blocking the way to the Orb.

"Ha!" Sam exclaimed, "Just more skeletons? Shouldn't be a problem."

She reached behind her back and pulled out the Fenton Wrist Ray. Danny and Specter were busy trying to deal with Magnus when Specter noticed the archers and Sam aiming her weapon at the ghosts.

"Wait, Manson, don't!" Specter warned.

"Miopiar akula vinaquirem!" Magnus chanted as he kicked Specter from behind and grabbed Danny by the chest and slammed him into the wall.

Sam fired her weapon just as a yellow rune appeared on each of the skeleton's foreheads and their eye sockets began glowing the same yellow color. As soon as the energy beam hit one of the skeletons, the attack just vanished.

"Huh? What gives?" Sam asked as she fired more ghost rays at the skeletons.

The same result happened.

"Manson, stop!" Specter ordered as he blinked over to Magnus and blasted him with a ghost ray, "You're just making them stronger!"

Danny feel to one knee as he recovered from hitting the wall.

"Huh?" Sam exclaimed as she glanced over to him.

She then looked back at the skeletons and saw them taking aim at her and Tucker with glowing yellow arrows.

"Sam! Tucker!" Danny exclaimed as he shot forward towards his friends.

The archers began firing a barrage of arrows at the teens, but Phantom was fast enough to get in front of Tucker and Sam and create a ghost shield around them. Meanwhile Magnus teleported over to the Orb and reached for it.

"Finally," he muttered.

***POW***

Specter blinked over and tackled Magnus away from the Orb. The two began blinking and teleporting around the room, constantly trying to get the upper hand over the other. Meanwhile, Danny was still shielding his friends from the never-ending barrage of arrows.

"I can't keep this up much longer," he said as sweat began to appear on his forehead.

"Nice going, Sam," Tucker remarked.

"What!? What did I do!?" Sam exclaimed.

"_You _were the one who had to whip out your Wrist Ray and try and blast the skeletons away," Tucker remarked.

"Hey, it's not _my _fault that Magnus put a spell on the archers!" Sam replied, "Besides, I didn't see _you _doing anything to stop the skeletons!"

"Um, guys?" Danny asked in a strained voice, "Can we bicker _another _time?"

The archer skeletons began to approach the heroes.

"We're trapped! There's no place for us to go!" Tucker exclaimed, "We're _doomed_!"

"Get ahold of yourself, Tucker," Sam said, slightly annoyed.

She looked over and noticed a large bookcase against the wall just outside the shield.

"I've got it!" she exclaimed before turning to Danny, "Danny, when I say 'go', bring the shield down1"

"What!?" Phantom exclaimed, "Why!?"

"I've got a plan," Sam explained, "Trust me, okay?"

Danny turned his attention back to the skeletons, which we almost at the edge of the ghost shield.

"Alright, Sam," Danny sighed, "Just tell me when."

Sam waited until the skeletons were in the right position.

"Uh… Sam?" Tucker asked.

"Not yet," she hissed.

The archers were a couple of feet away, still attacking when Sam gave the signal.

"NOW!"

Grabbing Tucker by the wrist, Sam dragged him towards the large bookcase as Danny went intangible and brought the shield down. The arrows passed through him harmlessly just as Sam phased into the bookcase, pulling Tucker in with her.

"Okay, Tucker and Sam are safe," Danny said to himself, "Now to deal with these bags of bones."

Phantom turned tangible again and darted towards his attackers.

"Since I can't use my ghost powers, I'll have to take a more _direct _approach," he smirked.

The skeletons stopped firing arrows and their eyes grew wide as Danny closed in on them.

***POW***

Danny punched one in the skull.

***BAM***

And kicked another in the chest.

***KA-POW***

And elbowed the last one in the back. Sam poked her head out of the bookcase and noticed that Magnus and the skeletons were all distracted. Tucker poked his head out next to hers.

"How'd you know that would work?" he asked.

"Figured that if my hand would go through one bookcase, why not all of them in here?" she smirked.

Sam glanced over back around the room and noticed the Orb of Power lying on the ground. Double checking that no one was looking, she hopped out of the bookcase and ran for the Orb.

"Sam! What are you doing!?" Tucker exclaimed quietly.

Nearby, two of the skeletons were sitting on the ground as the third one was thrown into them, causing their bones to fly everywhere. As Danny wiped his hands, the bones began to melt back into ectoplasm.

"Done and done," Danny smirked.

"That's great, Phantom, now _**will you freakin' help me**_!?" Specter shouted as he and Magnus continued to battle.

Magnus teleported in front of Specter but then instantly teleported behind him and kicked him in the back.

"OOF!" Specter exclaimed as he hit the ground.

"Specter!" Phantom exclaimed.

Magnus teleported in front of him and headbutted him back.

"Boli kali ithikitalkus!"

Two purple runes appeared on the ground, one under each half-ghost, and magical chains erupted from the ground holding them down.

"Rggh, not this again!" Danny exclaimed as he resisted in the chains.

"I've had enough of your interruptions," Magnus said calmly, "Now, if you don't mind, I will collect the Orb and be on my merry way."

Magnus turned back to where he last saw the Orb, but it was no longer there.

"Looking for something?" Sam asked.

Everyone turned and glanced over to where she was standing and saw her holding the Orb of Power in her hand. She held it up and had her opposite hand aimed at Magnus.

"Kalipar du xaquin idish!" she chanted, causing the Orb to glow brighter.

A moment later, her eyes and hand were glowing the same purple color and a magical projectile shot towards Magnus.

"What!?" the magician exclaimed.

***BOOM***

The attack hit Magnus in the chest, causing a powerful magical force to send him flying through the stone brick walls and far off into the distance. Phantom, Tucker, and Specter all stared in disbelief in the direction Magnus had disappeared for a few seconds before simultaneously turning their heads slowly back to Sam. Sam shook her head and glanced down at her no longer glowing hand and the Orb.

"Hey!" Dust yelled from the medallion, "What's going on!?"

"Sam just… used magic," Tucker said slowly.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

"That was _**AWESOME**_!" Sam exclaimed.

The team had returned to the Fenton Works and were sitting around the kitchen table and Dust perched on Trevor's shoulder. There were textbooks, notebooks, and lined paper in front of the teens.

"How did you even do that, Sam?" Danny asked, "I never knew you could use magic."

"Neither did I," Sam replied, "But when I touched this Orb, I just somehow… _knew_ how to do that."

"Manson, what you hold in your hands is the Orb of Knowledge," Trevor explained, "It gives the holder a plethora of information about almost anything."

"Including magic," Dust added.

"Forbidden knowledge," said Trevor as he walked over and grabbed the Orb from Sam.

"Hey!" she exclaimed, "We can use that against Reaper, you know."

"Yeah, that's a _great _idea," Trevor replied as he rolled his eyes, "The Orbs of Power are not toys or tools for us to use. They are **dangerous**."

"Oh, come on," Sam insisted, "Just think of what I- uh, _we _can do with it!"

Trevor put the Orb in his pocket and gave Sam side-eye.

"No," he said sternly, "End of discussion. Now if you need me, I'll be back at Manson's place."

Trevor turned and left the kitchen, with Dust still on his shoulder. Danny noticed Sam was still not too happy with Trevor deciding for her.

"Maybe he's right, Sam," he told her, "We've seen how powerful the Orbs can be."

"Yeah, don't remind me," said Tucker, "It was weird having my mind controlled like that."

"Yeah, that's because the _bad guys _had the Orbs," said Sam, "What if _we _used them instead."

"That's not really a risk I'd like to take," said Danny as he reached over and grabbed his notebook, "Any of us for that matter."

"I… suppose you're right," Sam sighed, "Still… it wouldn't hurt to try."

"Eh, who knows? Let's forget about the Orb," said Tucker, "Let's go over our assignments one last time before we turn them in tomorrow."

"Speaking of tomorrow," said Sam as she turned to Danny, "I hope you haven't forgotten."

"About our date tomorrow after school? Never," Danny smirked.

As Danny, Tucker, and Sam began going over their homework, Trevor was leaning against the wall just around the corner, listening in to their conversation.

"Hmm…" he groaned, rubbing his chin.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

A couple of hours later, dusk arrived as Sam walked through the front door of her home. Her parents were seated at the table doing work-related stuff before glancing over to their daughter.

"Uh, hi?" Sam said to them, uncertain why they were looking at her that way.

"Hello, Sammy-kins," Pamela replied as Sam walked past them, "Were you out with your… mmm… boyfriend?"

Sam quickly noticed the discomfort her mother felt saying that word.

"Uh, yeeeaaahhh…" she replied, "We were just hanging out and reviewing our homework assignments."

Jeremy and Pam gave each other a look.

"_WHAT!?" _Sam asked, slightly annoyed.

"We're just making sure that Fenton boy isn't doing anything… _undesirable_," Jeremy said cryptically.

"What? Eww… no!" Sam exclaimed, "Jeez, can't you two ever saying anything _nice _about him!?"

"We're just worried about you, that's all," said Pam.

"Well, stop, then," said Sam, "Danny's a great guy- no, the best guy I could possibly have in my life! And he would never hurt me. Besides, I can take care of myself."

Jeremy and Pam sighed in defeat, knowing there was no way that they would convince their rebellious daughter.

"Alright, Samantha, we'll drop the topic for now," Jeremy conceited.

"You might want to also check in on our young visitor," Pam added, "He's up in his guest room. He said something about wanting to talk to you?"

"You mean Trevor?" Sam asked, "Uh, thanks. I'll go speak to him now."

Sam made her way upstairs, with her parents watching her until she was out of sight.

"Remind me again, why did we allow that child to stay with us?" Jeremy asked Pam.

She just shrugged in response. Meanwhile, Sam made her way down the hall and approached the guest room door. She didn't notice that it wasn't closed all the way so when she knocked on the door, it creaked open and revealed Trevor sitting on the bed with an open box next to him and a data pad in his hand.

"Trevor?" Sam asked, startling the young half-ghost.

"Jeez, Manson," Trevor sighed, "What are you trying to do, kill me completely?"

"Well, you _are _halfway there," Sam smirked.

"Yeah, thanks for stealing my joke," Trevor replied, rolling his eyes as he put the data pad in the box and closed it.

"What's that?" Sam asked as she entered the room and glanced over to the box.

"None of your business," Trevor muttered as he picked it up and pushed it under the bed, "***Sigh* **Sorry, I'm just… irritated."

"Are you ever _not _irritated?"

"Good point."

"My parents said you wanted to see me."

"Yeah…" Trevor replied as he got back up and turned towards Sam, "I also wanted to… apologize about earlier."

"About the Orb?" she smirked and crossed her arms, "I sure showed Magnus who's boss."

"Nnnnooo…" said Trevor as he gave her side-eye, "Clearly Dust and I didn't explain it well enough earlier."

"Explain what enough?" Sam asked.

A swirl of green energy flowed from under Trevor's shirt and morphed into a raven on his shoulder.

"About the Orb of Knowledge," Dust clarified.

"What about it?" Sam asked, uncrossing her arms.

"This applies to most of the Orbs, but they're corrupted," Trevor explained.

"Corrupted?" Sam asked, "By what?"

"Something… evil," Dust replied with discomfort.

Sam raised an eyebrow and Trevor turned his head to face Dust.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Mmm…" Dust moaned in discomfort.

"Evil?" Sam asked, deadpanning, "Come on, seriously?"

"Yeah, I know it sounds cliché, but it's true," said Trevor, "Remember when-"

***Vrrr-Vrrr***

"Hold that thought," Trevor sighed as he pulled out his cellphone and read the text, "Looks like were going on patrol alone tonight, Dust."

A blue ring appeared around Trevor's waist and he changed into Logan Specter. He turned to leave when Sam grabbed his shoulder.

"Wait, what were you going to say?" she asked.

"We'll discuss it another time," Specter replied, "It's probably best you all heard it from us together."

Before Sam could reply, Specter and Dust went intangible and flew through the wall.

"What was that all about?" she wondered, raising an eyebrow.

She turned and left the room and went into her own. She plopped down onto her bed and pulled out one of the books she had taken from the Ghost Zone.

"By the way…"

Sam slightly jumped as she glanced over and saw Specter's head poking through the wall.

"You can keep the souvenirs you brought back from the Ghost Zone," Specter told her before vanishing.

Sam blinked a couple of times before smirking and cracking open the book.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

The next day, Sam was in her history class, writing notes from the teacher's lecture on the board.

"It wasn't until the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941 that the United States had joined the Allies and fought in World War II," the teacher explained.

Sam began to lose interest and glanced out the window. Her hand began to glow a faint purple as her hand continued writing without her knowing.

"…"

"I wonder if I can convince Trevor that I can use the Orb," Sam sighed.

"…?"

Sam didn't notice a shadow looming over her.

"MANSON!"

"WHAT!?" Sam shouted back as she turned and realized that Mrs. Thorne, the history teacher, was standing over her and glaring at her, "Uh… oops."

"Manson," Mrs. Thorne said sternly, "I've asked you a question and you've been in la-la land, doodling in your notebook!"

"What?" Sam asked, confused, "Uh, I'm just... writing notes!"

"Is that so?" Mrs. Thorne asked, "Then tell me how many battleships were damaged during the attack on Pearl Harbor?"

Sam's eyes widened and glanced around as her classmates focused on her. A few were silently chuckling at her predicament. Suddenly, her eyes began to glow a faint purple and she expressed determination.

"Of the 21 ships attacked, 8 were battleships," Sam answered, "The _Arizona_, _Oklahoma_, _West Virginia_, _California_, _Nevada_, _Pennsylvania_, _Tennessee_, and _Maryland_. The _Arizona _and _Oklahoma_ were destroyed, and the others were repaired and returned to service."

Mrs. Thorne's face softened, and her eyes widened.

"That's… correct," she said in disbelief, "I haven't even talked about the loss of the _Arizona _and the _Oklahoma_. Very good, Manson."

Sam's eyes returned to normal and she shook her head.

"It… was?" Sam asked, not sure what had happened.

"I apologize, Manson," Mrs. Thorne told her as she went back to the front of the class, "I wasn't aware you had read ahead."

Everyone focused back on Thorne's lecture as Sam glanced around, wondering what had just happened. She looked down at her notes and saw what she had written absent-mindedly.

"How… did I know all that?"

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Not far from Amity High, Specter was flying around the city, searching for Reaper.

"I went through every file I downloaded from Vlad's computer and not even _that _was helpful," the half-ghost grumbled.

"_There must be __**some **__way we can find Reaper," _Dust replied telepathically from the medallion.

Specter landed on a rooftop and looked around.

"I dunno, Dust," he sighed, "It's been a couple of weeks and not a single peep from him."

Dust emerged from the medallion and perched herself on his shoulder.

"Sam does bring up a good point…" she began.

Specter's eyes immediately locked on to Dust; their green glow making her nervous.

"Dust, you of all people know damn well what that Orb can do," he warned.

"Just a suggestion," she remarked.

Specter sighed as he sat down on the edge and began to think.

"You know… it just occurred to me that Magnus knew the location of the Orb," he said after few moments, "How the hell did he even know where it was?"

***WUMP***

A ghost wolf with blue flames pounced from behind and tackled Specter off the roof. They landed on the ground and tumbled a couple of times before Specter kicked the ghost off him. The wolf crashed into a parked car and remained still. Dust glided down to Specter as he got back to his feet. People were staring and whispering to one another.

"Are you okay?" Dust asked as she landed on his shoulder.

"Yeah," Specter replied as he pulled out his medallion and forced Dust back inside, "no thanks to _him_."

As Specter glanced over her shoulder, Magnus made his presence official when he floated down from the air.

"Miss me?" the magician asked.

"If you mean I miss you like I miss you foot up my ass, then yes," Specter replied, "What are you doing here, Magnus?"

"Isn't it obvious? I want my Orb back."

"Yeah, that'll happen when hell freezes over," Specter growled.

"My, my… someone's in a bad mood," Magnus chuckled.

"Well, considering that Reaper still has the map to the Orbs of Power…"

"And you as well," Magnus added, "Oh, I know about the photo."

Specter glared at Magnus.

"… And Reaper doesn't?" he asked.

"Nope," Magnus replied, "I suppose I should thank you for showing how naïve I was for trusting Reaper."

"Not the word I'd use," Specter muttered as the two circled one another, "So if you don't work with Reaper anymore, why bother with the Orbs?"

"I don't want the _Orbs_," Magnus replied, "I just want the Orb of Knowledge."

"And let you continue your alchemy? Not happenin'," said Specter.

"I don't think you understand," Magnus said more seriously, "I wasn't asking for it. I'm warning you to give it to me."

Specter slowly reached back for his Fenton Phone, unaware that the ghost wolf was sneaking up on him.

***WHAM***

The wolf leapt towards Specter, but he blinked towards it and punched it in the face. The wolf skidded across the ground for a moment before turning into a puddle of ectoplasm.

***BAM***

Unfortunately, Specter had turned his back to Magnus and the ghost teleported behind him and rammed his shoulder into Specter's back. The half-ghost recovered in the air and reached back for the Fenton Phone.

"Huh!?" he exclaimed.

He pulled out the Fenton Phone and saw the broken remains of the device in his hands.

"Perfect," he muttered.

"Aw, what's wrong?" Magnus taunted, "Can't call your friends for help?"

"Pfft. Like I need help dealing with _you_," Specter replied as he put the broken Fenton Phone away.

"Are you so certain?" Magnus asked as he held out a hand, "Jalaran moiparran moipar idish vinaquirem!"

The ground began to rumble as cracks began to form with purple light shining from within. Suddenly, a couple dozen skeletal hands burst from the ground and a horde of ghost skeletons rose.

"How the…?" Specter wondered.

"The Orb taught me a few new tricks," Magnus explained as the skeletons began to merge together.

Specter's head slowly tilted up as Magnus' latest creation grew bigger and bigger; its shadow looming over Specter.

"… ah, crap," Specter muttered.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Back at Casper High, Danny, Tucker, and Sam had just finished classes for the day and were walking down the halls.

"It was so weird," Sam told Danny and Tucker, "It was like… the stuff just popped into my head."

"Maybe you're just smarter than you thought you were," Danny suggested.

Sam glared at him, telling him that he made a mistake.

"Uh, not that you _weren't _smart before!" Danny clarified before chuckling nervously.

"That's what I thought," Sam told him as she playfully patted his cheek a couple of times.

"Maybe it has something to do with the Orb?" Tucker asked, "Trevor did say that the Orbs can influence people."

"Maybe," Sam replied, "We should talk to him about this later."

"Why not now?" Danny asked.

"Because _we _have something more important happening," Sam smirked.

"Sam, I think _this _is more important than our date," Danny said as they turned around a corner.

***WUMP***

Danny walked into something and fell onto his rear.

"What where you're going, Fen-turd!"

"Jeez, sorry, Dash," Danny remarked as he got back up, "It's not like I knew you were going around the corner at the same time."

"Whatever, loser," Dash replied, "And did I hear you right? Are you and Manson actually _dating_?"

"So? What if we are-" Sam began to say, but Danny quickly put a hand over her mouth.

"What!? No! We're not dating!" Danny exclaimed, "I said 'this is the most important thing to date'. I'm not dating Sam, why would you think such a thing? Heh-heh."

Dash raised an eyebrow at Danny as Sam pushed his hand off her mouth.

"Uh, what?" she asked in disbelief.

"Look, sorry I bumped into you, Dash, but we gotta go, bye!" Danny said quickly as he grabbed Tucker and Sam's hands and pulled them toward the exit.

Dash scratched his head in confusion as he watched the three leave. As soon as they were outside, Danny noticed Sam was glaring daggers at him.

"What?" he asked.

Sam crossed her arms and looked away as they began walking down the sidewalk.

"What!?" Danny exclaimed.

"Dude," Tucker said with a deadpan, "you just lied to Dash about you and Sam."

"I didn't _lie_," Danny explained, "I just don't see why our relationship is anyone's business."

"Who cares what everyone else thinks?" Sam asked, "If they don't like it then too bad."

"I… well…" Danny tried to explain but couldn't find the words.

Suddenly, he gasped as his ghost sense went off.

"Ghost sense?" he asked.

***SLAM***

Right at the team's feet, Specter had crashed into the pavement on his back.

"Owww…" he groaned as he opened his eyes, "Oh, hey, guys."

***RRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!***

The earth shook as something large approached the team. People were running down the street, screaming in fear.

"Um… that's… big," Tucker said nervously as he saw what the cause was.

"Holy shit… you're right," Specter dryly joked as he got back to his feet, "Any other obvious remarks, Foley?"

An enormous ghost the size of a large building and made of multiple skeletons was towering over the team. It was carrying two large bone clubs and had on shredded red clothes all around its body.

"Like my new creation?"

The team turned around and saw Magnus floating behind them.

"Magnus!" Danny exclaimed as a white ring appeared around his waist.

"A pleasure as always, Phantom," said Magnus, "I presume you want to intervene with my small squabble with Specter?"

Phantom shot forward towards Magnus and fired a couple of ghost rays at him. Magnus turned intangible, avoiding the attacks, and turned tangible again. He then followed up with a punch in Danny's face, sending him back a few feet.

"Oooff!" Danny grunted as he landed on the ground.

"Danny!" Sam exclaimed and rushed over to his side, "Of all the days to not bring the Wrist Rays."

Tucker was about to follow her when Specter reached over and grabbed the back of his shirt.

"No, you're with me," Specter told him, "I need your help dealing with _that_."

Specter pointed his thumb over his shoulder and Tucker followed it. His jaw dropped when he realized Specter was referring to the towering ghost approaching them.

"Are you crazy!?" Tucker exclaimed, "How can I help you with that thing!?"

Using intangibility, Specter took Tucker's PDA and took a few steps back.

"Whoa! Wait a minute now!" Tucker exclaimed.

"Dust?" Specter summoned, resulting in the ghost raven appearing on his shoulder, "Find the tallest building in Amity Park and drop this from the highest point."

Dust flapped into the air and took the PDA into her talons.

"Wait, _**WHAT!?**_" Tucker shouted and ran after Dust, "NO! NOT ANDREA!"

Specter watched as the monster looked down at Tucker and followed him.

"So damn easy," Specter smirked to himself before flying after the monster.

Meanwhile, Sam helped a dazed Danny up to his feet.

"You okay, Danny?" she asked.

"Yeah… I'm fine," he told her.

Suddenly, Magnus teleported behind the two and grabbed Sam by the arm.

"You'll make a fine damsel in distress," Magnus chuckled and teleported himself and Sam away.

"Sam!?" Phantom exclaimed, "Where are you!?"

"Danny! Behind you!" Sam shouted.

Danny quickly turned intangible before Magnus could tackle him to the ground. Phantom raised his hands and fired a pair of cryo-ghost rays at Magnus. The beams hit the magician and encased him in a block of ice. Phantom turned around and saw Sam held down to the ground by chains that were summoned by a mage skeleton.

"Let me go, bone-head!" Sam shouted to the skeleton, which just laughed in response.

A white gloved hand tapped the skeleton on the shoulder, and it turned its head to see what it was.

***WHAM***

Phantom punched the skeleton so hard that its body broke apart midair and scattered the bones across the ground. He walked up to Sam and fired a ghost ray at one of the chains. But nothing happened.

"Huh?" Danny exclaimed, raising an eyebrow.

He fired another ghost ray, but the chain remained.

"Danny!" Sam exclaimed, "Help me!"

Sam's body briefly distorted.

"What the heck?"

Danny reached out to touch Sam's face, but his hand went right through it.

"A useful trick, isn't it?" Magnus asked from behind.

Danny turned around and saw Sam wrapped in chains in front of Magnus.

"Funny how I can use illusions as well," Magnus chuckled.

Phantom glanced over and watched the fake Sam and chains vanish.

"Darn," he muttered as he turned back to Magnus, "it was just a distraction."

"Indeed, it was," Magnus confirmed, "Now, unless you want harm to come to the girl, I suggest you-"

***POW***

Magnus had dropped his guard and Danny took the opportunity to dash forward and give the magician an uppercut.

"Why must everyone have to use you against me?" Danny moaned as the chains vanished around Sam.

"You worry too much," Sam smirked.

Suddenly, Dust flew over to them and dropped Tucker's PDA in Danny's hands before landing on his shoulder.

"Wait! ***Pant* **Don't hurt her!" Tucker panted as he approached the group.

"Uh, what is this about?" Danny asked Dust.

"WWWHHOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

***WHAM***

Specter had shouted through the air and crashed into the ground next to the group.

"Ow… that hurt," he groaned as he slowly got up, "Oh, hey, guys. Long time, no see."

***RRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!***

Everyone turned their heads and saw the monster towering over them. Specter was out of breath and a blue ring appeared around his waist.

"I don't know what Magnus did to that thing," Trevor muttered as he reverted to human form, "but it hasn't even taken a scratch from any of my attacks. And now I'm drained. Just like Tucker was from being a distraction."

"Wait, you used me as _**bait**_!?" Tucker exclaimed.

"And you did a fine job at it as well," said Trevor.

"Any ideas of how to beat it?" Phantom asked as the team began to slowly back away from the approaching giant.

"Uh… well, you could try using your Ghostly Wail," Trevor suggested.

"Why didn't you do that?" Danny asked.

"Would you believe me if I told you I've been trying to use a Ghostly Wail during my personal training exercises, and I've haven't pulled one off since our last encounter with Reaper?"

"You're joking," said Phantom.

"No one's laughing; what do you think?" said Trevor.

Sam stopped moving when she felt her foot back into something. She glanced down and saw a strange looking purple sphere on the ground.

"Dude, we don't have time for this!" Tucker exclaimed, "Just scream at the thing and finish it!"

Phantom turned his attention back at the monster and flew up in the air towards it.

"Alright," he said as he stopped a dozen feet away from the ghost, "let's see you beat _this_."

***Whoo-oo-OO-OO-OO-oo-oo-oo-OO-OO~***

Phantom unleashed a Ghostly Wail against the towering skeleton-monster. The ecto-energy barraged the enemy relentlessly, but the monster didn't even flinch. Phantom stopped his attack.

"You've got to be kidding me!" he shouted, "How do we beat this thing!?"

Magnus teleported right in Phantom's face.

"You can't."

***SLAM***

Magnus headbutted the hero in the head and sent him back to the ground. Danny landed on his feet and skidded back a couple feet.

"Not even a _Ghostly Wail_ made a dent in that thing!" Tucker exclaimed.

"Trevor? Any ideas?" Phantom asked.

"N… no…" he replied nervously, "I don't even know what _can _be done against that monstrosity."

"Hey, that's a great name for it," Tucker quipped, "Monstrosity."

"Not helping!" Danny and Trevor shouted.

"You might as well give up now," said Magnus, getting their attention, "Give me the Orb or I'll let my _monstrosity _destroy Amity Park."

"Not happening, buckethead!" Trevor remarked.

"Very well," Magnus shrugged, "I tried to help you."

The Monstrosity lurched forward toward the heroes and raised it large fists in the air. Suddenly, a pair of large purple chains shot from under the Monstrosity's feet and wrapped around its wrists.

"What!?" Magnus exclaimed as he spun around.

Danny, Tucker, and Trevor watched in confusion as the Monstrosity struggled against the restraints and was brought to its knees.

"What is this!? What's going on!?" Magnus exclaimed.

"Ya ithikitalkus a soth!"

Everyone turned around and saw Sam holding the Orb of Knowledge in one hand and holding her other hand as purple energy floated around it.

"Sam!?" Danny exclaimed.

"Manson! What are you doing!?" Trevor shouted.

Sam's eyes began to glow purple as purple magic misted from the chains and began to envelope the Monstrosity. Its body began to form purple cracks as the magic progressed.

"What are you doing!?" Magnus shouted, "Do you have any idea what you're doing!?"

"Yeah," Sam smirked, "Taking away your pet. Akular locitum nal kair vimi!"

A surge of electricity erupted through the Monstrosity, causing it to roar and writhe in pain. It lasted for only a few seconds, but it was enough to make it shatter into pieces before melting into a giant puddle of ectoplasm.

"What have you done!?" Magnus shouted, "Give me that Orb!"

"Boli kali ithikitalkus!"

Before Magnus could react, a purple rune appeared under his levitated body and more chains appeared.

"You dare use my magics against me!?" Magnus shouted in anger as his limbs were wrapped by the magical restraints.

"I didn't know you owned magic," Sam smirked, "Now, Danny!"

Phantom pulled out his Fenton Thermos and fired the beam at Magnus.

"Nnnoooo!" Magnus shouted as he was sucked into the Thermos.

Danny slapped the cap on and reverted back to human form. Sam lowered the Orb and her eyes stopped glowing.

"Phew," Danny sighed, "That was something."

"Yeah, no kidding," Trevor said, annoyed as he turned to Sam, "And where the hell did you get _that _from!?"

"Oh, this?" Sam smirked as she spun the Orb on her finger like a basketball, "Found on the ground where you crash-landed."

"Manson, it would be for the best if-" Trevor began.

"If _what_!?" Sam snapped, "I give you the Orb back? I just saved your hide, and this is how you thank me?"

"You're a real piece of work, aren't you?" Trevor asked, crossing his arms.

"Oh, _really_?" Sam challenged, "I just proved that I could use the Orb of Knowledge without any issues. Or are you just jealous that you and Danny couldn't defeat the Monstrosity without my help?"

"Told you it was a good name," Tucker smirked as he elbowed Danny and gave him a wink.

Trevor glared at Sam for a moment before letting out a long sigh.

"Fine," Trevor scoffed, "Do whatever you want with the Orb."

"There, was that so-" Sam began before Trevor interrupted, pointing a finger at her.

"Just don't complain to me when things go belly up," he warned.

"Like that'll happen," said Sam.

"Whatever," said Trevor.

"Okay, I think that's enough, you two," said Danny as he got between Sam and Trevor, "Sam, why don't you head home and I'll pick you up later for our date."

"Sounds like a plan to me," she replied before giving him a quick peck on the cheek, "See you tonight."

As Sam walked away, Danny turned to Trevor and gave him a questionable look.

"Why'd you let her keep the Orb?" Danny asked, "And why did you even have it on you?"

"Reasons," Trevor answered cryptically as he pulled out the broken Fenton Phone, "Think your parents can fix it?"

"I was wondering why he didn't call for help," said Tucker.

"Well, _that _and I left my cellphone back in the guest room," Trevor admitted.

"Come on," said Danny, "Let's get to the Fenton Works and send Magnus back into the Ghost Zone."

No one noticed Sam's eyes briefly turning into purple swirls as she walked home.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Sam walked up to the front door of her house and entered.

"You're home a bit later than usual," Pam noted as she glanced over from the table.

"Sorry, I forgot my notebook in my locker and had to run back for it," Sam lied, "Why are you home? Don't you have meetings to attend with dad or something?"

"I wanted to talk to you instead," said Pam.

"Oh, great, _here we go_!" Sam grumbled.

"Samantha, I know you like that Fenton-boy, but-"

"You know what!?" Sam exclaimed, her eyes beginning to glow, "I am sick and tired of hearing you and dad complain about every little thing you see 'wrong' with Danny! You complain that he's a Fenton; you complain that he gets me into trouble; you complain that he's not 'suitable' for a Manson."

"Samantha, listen, I-"

"No, _**YOU **_listen! All you guys do is complain, complain, complain! I'm tired of you trying to conform me into your 'perfect daughter'. I'm not like you and dad! I don't _want _to be like you or dad! I want to be _me_! And if you can't accept that, then shut up and _**leave me ALONE!**_"

Sam stormed upstairs and slammed her bedroom door behind her back. She never saw the shock and hurt on her mother's face.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

"So, she _has _been having after-effects from the Orb?" Trevor asked Danny and Tucker as he followed them through the front door of the Fenton Works.

"Well, that's what we think," Danny replied.

"Is that a bad thing?" Tucker asked, "Will Sam be okay?"

"That remains to be seen," Trevor replied, "Anyways, since I'm heading downstairs, I'll take the Thermos off your hands and send Magnus back myself."

"Yeah, can you do that? I want to get ready for my date tonight," Danny said as he handed the Thermos to Trevor.

"What, you taking to a five-star restaurant?" Tucker teased.

"Please, Foley, he doesn't have the money to even afford a three-star restaurant," said Trevor.

"Hey!" Danny complained, "I can afford to take Sam out to a nice place."

"Yeah," Tucker smirked, "with _her _credit card."

"Tucker, I will overshadow you in your sleep and make you experience your worst nightmare," Danny threatened as he walked upstairs.

"What!? Why are you only threatening me!?" Tucker exclaimed.

"Because he tried doing that to me," Trevor told him, "and it did not end well for him."

"Man, sometimes I wish-"

Trevor slapped his hand over Tucker's mouth.

"_NEVER_… use those two words together ever again," Trevor warned, "Let's not give Desiree a reason to mess with us."

Tucker nodded and Trevor pulled his hand away.

"So, what should we do now?" Tucker asked.

"I'll deal with Magnus while you try and think of where the last 2 Orbs are located."

"… Can we do something more _productive_?" Tucker deadpanned as Trevor headed downstairs.

"Sure! Find Reaper and capture him yourself!" Trevor shouted over his shoulder.

Tucker's eyes widened.

"I'll go look for places to search," he decided and walked away.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

A couple hours later, Danny walked up to front door of Sam's place. He didn't get the chance to knock before the door flung open and Sam stormed out.

"Um, hi?" said Danny, "You okay- WHOA!"

Sam had grabbed his wrist and dragged him away from her house.

"Soooo… you really want to go on this date, huh?" Danny quipped.

Sam turned and glared at Danny.

"What?" he asked.

"Don't you 'what' me," she told him, "I'm still mad about you lying to Dash!"

"Oh, come on, Sam!" Danny whined as he sped up and walked by her side, "I'm just… not ready."

Sam raised an eyebrow.

"No, not like that!" Danny exclaimed, "I mean I'm not ready for everyone to know."

Sam's expression didn't change.

"And?" she asked.

"And what?"

Sam scoffed and glanced away.

"Sam, I don't see why it's such a big deal if I'm not ready for everyone to know we're dating," said Danny.

"And I don't see why it's such a big deal if they do!" she snapped.

"Jeez, sorry," Danny muttered.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Trevor came back upstairs with a new Fenton Phone in hand. He entered the kitchen and found Tucker tapping away on his PDA.

"Nothing?" Trevor asked.

"Nope. Sorry," said Tucker.

"Don't be," said Trevor, "It's not like you should know or anything."

Tucker glanced over suspiciously at Trevor.

"What was that all about?" he asked.

"What?" Trevor asked as he went to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water.

"Sam… and the Orb," Tucker clarified, "Why did you let her keep it?"

"She insisted on playing with fire, so I'm letting do so," Trevor replied.

"And you're gonna do, what? Wait until she burns Amity Park to the ground?" Tucker asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Pretty much, yeah."

"… Things are about to get bad, aren't they?" Tucker asked.

"Probably… or they already are," Trevor replied, "I'm gonna head out for a bit."

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Danny and Sam were walking through town, but Sam was still giving Danny the cold shoulder.

"Don't be like this, Sam," Danny whined.

"Why?" Sam asked, "You're clearly too scared to have a _real _relationship."

"What!?" Danny exclaimed, "That's not-"

"Fair!?" Sam snapped turning around and getting in Danny's face, "Look around, Fenton! Is anything fair!? Is it fair that _you _push me and Tucker aside so you can play hero! You think it's fair that I waste my time hunting ghosts with you!?"

"What are you talking about?" Danny asked in confusion, "I never asked you guys-"

"Is it fair that you had to hide your secret from your parents just because you were too scared that they would kill you!?" Sam continued as her eyes began to glow purple, "You think it's fair that my parents want me to be their 'ideal daughter' when I can make my own decisions!?"

"Sam… your eyes…"

"Is it fair that you're too nice a person to take out any of the ghosts we come across that threaten to kill us!? Like Vlad or Reaper!?"

Before Danny could reply, his ghost sense went off.

***WOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooohhhh***

Danny and Sam turned around and saw three large ghost wolfs slowly coming down the road. People turned around and fled in fear. One was a normal green wolf, another was covered in blue flames, and the third was giving off electrical sparks.

"Something tells me they're not Wulf," Danny quipped.

"Oh, really, _ya think_!?" Sam exclaimed.

Nearby, Magnus stood on a nearby rooftop, watching as his wolf pack approached the couple.

"Let's see what these two will do against this," Magnus chuckled as he pulled out his spell book, "Ya ithikitalkus a soth!"

A large red rune appeared under the wolves and they slowly began to merge together.

"Sam, get behind me," Danny told her as he stood in front of her and raised his fists in the air, "I'm going ghost!"

A white ring appeared around his waist and split up and down his body, turning into Danny Phantom. The wolves were almost completely melded together as the body grew and a large main grew around its neck. Its entire body engulfed in red flames and electricity as it howled once more.

***WOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooohhhh***

Phantom stood defiantly as the three wolf heads snarled at him.

"Oh, what's this?" Magnus asked as he descended next to the wolf, "It seems Cerberus***** wants to play."

"You again!?" Phantom exclaimed, "Didn't Trevor send you back into the Ghost Zone?"

"Did he?" Magnus asked, "Well, it doesn't matter, since I'm right here before you."

"This is a waste of time," Sam grumbled as she reached back and pulled out the Orb of Knowledge, "We'll do this together."

"Are you crazy!?" Danny exclaimed.

"You deal with Magnus while I deal with the mutt," Sam ordered, "Why are you just standing there!? GO!"

Phantom gave her a brief glare before he took to the air and charged at Magnus.

"Fetch," Magnus told Cerberus.

The wolf growled and bolted down the street. Phantom and the Cerberus past each other and homed in on their targets. Phantom fired ghost rays at Magnus, but the magician teleported away. Danny stopped in the air and looked around for him.

"Over here, Phantom," Magnus teased from above.

"Urrgghh…" Danny groaned and flew after him.

Meanwhile, the Cerberus was closing in on Sam as she held up her hand. It began to glow purple as 6 blue magical orbs appeared above her. She waved her arm out and the orbs flew towards the Cerberus. The canine dodged each orb as they got close, causing them to crash into the ground and blowing up. It leapt over the last orb and opened its mouths wide to tear into Sam. She balled her glowing hand into a fist and instantly vanished as the heads rammed their heads into the ground where she had just stood. Sam reappeared a few feet away behind the Cerberus, unharmed.

"I don't get why Trevor was so worried about this," she smirked, "This power is incredible!"

Sam's eyes began to fade into purple swirls as she stared into the Orb.

"I know… I'll defeat all the ghosts in the Ghost Zone and keep the world safe for good!" she smiled evilly, "And then I'll make sure all evil is cleansed from this world. And if anyone does anything wrong, I'll take them out myself."

She glanced back at the Cerberus as it turned around to face her, crushing the pieces of asphalt in its mouths. Sam raised her hand as purple glowing veins began to appear on her arm. Nearby, Phantom was being toyed with by Magnus as the magician continued to teleport out of harms way. As soon as Magnus teleported away again, Phantom caught sight of him again in the street. He flew down and his hands began to glow with ecto-energy.

"Wait a minute…"

Danny stopped in his tracks and glared at Magnus for a moment. It was faint, but he saw some distortion around Magnus. Phantom glanced to the side and fired a ghost ray at an invisible Magnus. The attack tossed the magician through a glass window as the decoy vanished. Magnus groaned as he sat up when Danny suddenly grabbed him by the collar and pulled him up.

"Is it too much to ask for you to not cause trouble!?" Phantom shouted.

"Well, if you and your friends hadn't stopped me, none of this would have happened," Magnus remarked.

"Yeah, I'm sure if we let you go and have the Orb, you'd have solved all the world's problems," Danny said sarcastically as he reached for his Fenton Thermos, "Huh?"

"Missing something?" Magnus chuckled.

"I knew I'd forget to grab another Fenton Thermos," Danny deadpanned before turning back to Magnus, "Fine, I'll just drag your sorry hide back to the Ghost Portal if that's what it will take."

"Oh, really?" Magnus asked, "And let your girlfriend lose control?"

"Lose control?" Danny asked.

He glanced over his shoulder and saw Sam surrounded in purple magic. Her arm was covered in purple runes and glowing purple cracks and her hand was raised, magically holding the Cerberus up in the air.

"Time to end you," she hissed, clenching her fist.

As soon as she did that, the Cerberus instantly turned to dust and fell to the ground.

"Sam!" Phantom exclaimed, dropping Magnus and running over to her, "What are you doing!?"

Sam turned around, revealing her purple swirling eyes.

"I'm doing things in a more efficient manner," she replied in a dark voice, "And now I will deal with _him_."

Sam held out her hand and magically grabbed Magnus.

"Sam, stop!" Danny exclaimed, "This isn't like you!"

"Back off, Danny!" Sam shouted, "I'm going to do what you won't, I'm taking him out!"

"No!" Danny shouted and grabbed her wrist.

"Let go of me!" Sam demanded.

"Sam, listen to me! The Orb, it's… it's affecting your mind! This isn't you!"

"You're right… it is affecting me," she replied, "Showing me what I am truly capable of! What I am _meant _for!"

Danny's eyes widened as Sam began to make a fist. He twisted her wrist and pushed her away, causing her to lose focus on Magnus and letting him go.

"You idiot!" Sam shrieked, "Why do you insist on making things more difficult for us!?"

"Sam, if you don't get rid of the Orb, I'll-"

"You'll do what!? Fight _me_!?" Sam spat out, "You really are a coward. You think you're better than me!?"

"I won't fight you, Sam," Danny said calmly.

"You won't have a choice," she hissed as she magically grabbed a nearby car and slammed it into Danny.

His back skid across the ground before he slammed into a parked car. He glanced up and watched Sam begin the levitate off the ground and approached Magnus. Phantom darted through the air and blocked her way.

"Sam, snap out of it!" he shouted, "The Orb is taking over your mind! You have to fight it!"

"Why fight it… when I can _harness _it!" Sam proclaimed as chains appeared out of the ground and pulled Danny and Magnus to the ground.

"Sam, stop!" Danny exclaimed as he and Magnus struggled.

Sam slowly glided past him, toward Magnus. Phantom managed to slip one of his arms free and grabbed the Orb.

"Release the Orb!" Sam demanded.

"No!" Phantom shouted as he pulled Sam closer, "I won't let it control you, Sam!"

"The Sam you knew isn't here!" she exclaimed, "And she's never coming back!"

She spun around and aim her hand at Danny as another magical orb appear next to her. Phantom gasped as the orb shot toward him.

***THOOM***

The blast hurt him, but Phantom kept a strong grip on the orb. Sam growled and released another orb. And another. And another. But Phantom refused to let go.

"If you wish to be obliterated, then so be it," Sam hissed as a giant magical orb formed next to her.

"Sam…" Danny pleaded as Sam prepared to launch the orb.

"MANSON!"

Sam looked over and saw Trevor standing nearby.

"_You _stay out of this!" Sam shouted, "This is all your fault!"

"Really?" Trevor asked, raising an eyebrow, "I'm not the one who attacking their boyfriend."

"Why are you even here!?" Sam asked.

"To stop you from doing something you'll regret the rest of your life," Trevor replied, calmly.

"What? Taking out Magnus and knocking some sense into Phantom!?" Sam shouted.

"Sam…" Trevor said calmly, "Do you know what will happen if you release that magic attack?"

Sam glanced over and looked at the orb. Her eyes slightly widened when she realized there were ghost skulls floating within the magical attack. She turned to Danny and realized that there were purple cracks appearing all over his face.

"If you attack him with that," Trevor explained, "you will never see him again."

Sam's eyes widened as tears began to form in them. She glanced over at the Orb and saw the ring on her finger.

"No… this isn't… me!" she exclaimed.

Danny lost grip of the Orb and reverted back to his human form.

"Danny!" Sam exclaimed.

She glanced back at the Orb and glared at it.

"Please work," she whispered as she threw it to the ground.

***K-Sssshhhh***

The Orb shattered into dozens of pieces as Sam's eyes and arm turned back to normal. Phantom slumped to the ground and Sam put her arms around.

"Danny! Danny!" she shouted, "Are you okay!?"

Danny looked up and smiled, revealing that he was fine.

"I'm fine, Sam," he sighed, "I'm fine."

Sam hugged him and smiled as tears fell down her face.

"I'm so sorry, Danny," she whispered.

"It's fine, Sam," Danny consoled her, "I'm just glad you're safe."

Nearby, Trevor telekinetically picked up the pieces of the Orb and put them in his pocket. Magnus floated over to him and the two glanced at each other.

"Don't even think about it," Trevor warned.

"… I wasn't," Magnus replied, "I must admit, even I wouldn't have been able to withstand the Orb's persuasive force."

The two watched in silence as Phantom and Sam continued hugging.

"Why did you agree to help me?" Trevor asked the magician.

"Knowledge is power," Magnus half-joked, "And having power can lead to craving more."

"You just didn't want Reaper to have it, didn't you?"

"Weeeellll… yes," Magnus admitted.

"Do you have any clue where he is?" Trevor asked.

"No. I don't," said Magnus, "I have no reason to now help that fiend with his goals. If I see him, I'll let you know."

Trevor gave him side-eye.

"We are _not _allies," Magnus clarified.

"I can work with that," said Trevor, "Now get out of here before I decide to throw your ass back in the Ghost Zone myself."

Magnus teleported away as Trevor approached Danny and Sam. The two stopped hugging by the time he was next to them.

"Trevor, I-"

"Later, Manson," Trevor interrupted, "Let's get back to the Fenton Works and talk."

Sam nodded and the three began walking down the street, with Danny's hand in Sam's.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Later that night, the gang was at the Fenton Works, sitting around the living room. Danny was holding an icepack against his cheek while Sam was sitting next to him on the couch. Tucker was researching on his PDA while Trevor was lying on the ground, staring at the ceiling. Everyone was silent and awkwardly glancing at each other. Dust appeared from the medallion and stood on the coffee table.

"Are you guys seriously going to avoid talking the rest of the night?" she asked.

Sam sighed.

"I guess I owe you and Trevor an apology, Danny," she said.

"Eh, don't sweat it," said Danny, "That was just the Orb messing with your head."

"But I shouldn't have yelled at you," said Sam, "I was so angry that you didn't want anyone at school knowing about us dating."

"Sam," Danny began as he put his arm around her, "I just… wanted to protect you."

"Protect me?" Sam asked.

"I know people will tease me about me dating you, but I didn't want people poking fun at you for dating a 'dork' or the 'loser'," Danny explained.

Sam chuckled and rested her head on his shoulder.

"I should have known that hero complex of yours would do this," she smiled, "Sorry I got mad and ruined our date tonight."

"And I'm sorry for being over-protective," Danny laughed, "And don't worry about the date, we have plenty of other nights ahead of us that we can plan dates for."

"Well… if it makes you feel any better, I can wait until you're ready before we tell everyone we're together," said Sam.

"I'd like that," Danny replied.

Sam glanced over and noticed that Trevor had something on his mind.

"Is there something you want to say, Trevor?" she asked.

"A couple of things, yeah," he replied, "You sure the Orb isn't affecting you anymore?"

"I think so."

Dust sighed and turned to Trevor.

"I think we should tell them, Trevor."

Trevor turned his head and stared at her.

"You sure?" he asked.

Dust nodded her head.

"Very well," said Trevor as he sat up and got to his feet.

"Tell us what?" Danny asked.

Trevor and Dust glanced at each other and she nodded.

"I have a confession to make," Dust admitted, "I knew that this was going to happen when you first grabbed the Orb back in the Ghost Zone, Sam."

"You knew!?" Sam exclaimed, "Why didn't you warn us!?"

"Because… I've been through the same thing," Dust sighed, "Only worse."

"How? _Why_?" Danny asked.

"I used to be…"

Dust couldn't bring herself to say it.

"She used to be Magnus' apprentice," said Trevor.

"WHAT!?" everyone exclaimed.

"It's true," said Dust, "I didn't want to say anything because… we figured you wouldn't trust us."

"Why wouldn't we?!" Danny asked.

"Because when I defected, Trevor and Clockwork were the only ones who would give me a chance at first," Dust explained.

Sam turned to Trevor.

"Why did you?" she asked.

"… Because I'm the one who saved her from the Orb's influence," he replied, "Magnus… well, the Magnus from _my _timeline, found the Orb of Knowledge and decided to let his apprentice try and control it."

"What happened?" Sam asked.

"Long story short, I saved the Ghost Zone, captured Magnus and Dust, and gave her and the Orb to Clockwork."

"So that's why she knew how to use magic," said Tucker, "because she used to work for Magnus!"

Dust looked away in shame.

"But why would she work with Magnus?" Danny asked.

Trevor sighed and gave Dust gentle smile.

"Because he created me," she whispered, "using a soul that was a victim of Reaper."

Trevor could tell Dust was well outside her comfort zone.

"Why-"

"I think that's enough for now," Trevor interrupted Tucker, "What happened in the past is now in the past."

"Don't you mean the future?" Danny quipped.

"Shut up, Phantom," Trevor remarked, unamused.

"Fine, but it sounded like you also have something to say," said Danny.

Trevor took a deep breath and sighed, nodding.

"Well, first of all, I hope today has proven just how dangerous the Orbs of Power are," he said sternly.

"Yeah, heh-heh, lesson learned," Sam replied, slightly embarrassed.

"In any case, I've been thinking a lot lately about my… ***Sigh* **_personal_ relation with Reaper," Trevor began.

Everyone was now focused on the young halfa.

"I'm not telling you _everything_," Trevor clarified.

Danny, Tucker, and Sam raised an eyebrow in confusion as Trevor reached into his pocket and pulled out a strand bar-looking device. He pressed a button and it turned into a holographic data pad.

"What's this?" Danny asked as he moved his arm from Sam and grabbed the data pad.

"A letter from my sister," Trevor replied.

Danny skimmed through the message for a moment before handing it to Sam.

"Didn't know you have a sister. How'd you even get that letter?" Tucker asked.

"Clockwork," Trevor replied, "He gave it to me shortly after our last encounter with Reaper."

"I don't see what's so important," said Danny, "All I got from it was that your sister is worried about you and that someone named Cole is missing. Are they someone important to you?"

"Cole is one of the best recons we have in the war," Trevor explained, "He's provided crucial intel that has allowed me and the Resistance to gain much ground over the months. Apparently, Reaper managed to find him around the same time he and I went into the past."

"How do you know it was Reaper?" Sam asked, handing the data pad to Tucker, "Maybe he's just, I dunno, radio silent?"

"As you read in the message, his weapons and commlink were found in a safehouse," Trevor replied, "Knowing Cole, he would _never _leave stuff lying around without destroying them."

"Do you think Cole is somewhere in this timeline?" Sam asked.

"I'd be shocked if he was," Trevor admitted, "No, I think Reaper's been somehow contacting someone in my timeline to keep an eye on him."

"Okay, let's say Reaper _does _have Cole somewhere, why does that matter?" Danny asked, "What does Reaper gain from one person?"

"You'd be surprised what Reaper has done to me," said Trevor.

"What do you mean?" Danny asked, "Is Cole a close friend of yours?"

Trevor rubbed the back of his neck in discomfort as took a couple steps forward.

"Because… ***Sigh* **Because Cole is my older brother."

***Thud***

Tucker dropped the data pad to the ground and turned to Trevor.

"And this… this isn't the first time Reaper has gone after my family."

Danny, Tucker, and Sam stared at Trevor in disbelief.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

A couple hours later, Sam, Trevor, and Dust were heading back to Sam's place. Sam was looking at the two with concern.

"You two okay?" she asked.

"Nope," they replied at the same time.

"… Are you worried about your brother?" Sam asked.

"Very," Trevor replied, "Can we talk about something else? Or just stay quiet?"

"Okay," Sam muttered, "Why did you tell us now?"

Trevor couldn't help but chuckle a little.

"Manson," he sighed, "what did I just say?"

Sam just continued staring at him.

"Well, you caught me looking at the data pad the other day, so I figured I'd get it out of the way."

"Anything else we should know?" she asked.

"Should know, no," Trevor replied, "But there are some things under consideration."

"If you say so," said Sam.

A couple minutes later, they arrived at the Manson residence and entered. Sam noticed her mother was sitting at the table, reading a magazine and drinking coffee. Trevor and Dust headed upstairs while Sam stayed behind.

"Hey, mom," she said.

"Oh, Sam," said Pam, slightly surprised, "You're home."

Sam walked over and sat down next to her.

"Sam, I wanted to apologize to you," Pam began.

"No, mom, _I'm _the one who should be apologizing," said Sam, "I was having a bad day at school today and I took it out on you. I'm sorry."

"A bad day?" Pam asked, "Are you okay? Was it that Fenton- I mean _Danny's _fault?"

"No, it wasn't Danny," Sam sighed, "It's fine, don't worry about it, I'm okay now. But I wish you wouldn't be so negative about him."

"Sammy-kins, I don't hate Danny," said Pam, "I'm just worried about you. I know you really care about him, but are you sure this relationship will last?"

"We don't know," said Sam, "Maybe we stay together, maybe we break up. But no matter what, we will always be best friends."

"I suppose there's no way to keep you away from him, is there?" Pam smiled.

"Nope," Sam replied.

"I'll take your word that he's been treating you right," said Pam, "I want to like Danny, Sam. I really do. I guess I'm just too stubborn to accept that you should be together."

"Like mother like daughter," Sam quipped as she and Pam gave each other a hug.

"I'm home~!" Jeremy announced as he entered the house, "The meeting was a- oh."

He noticed that his wife and daughter were in the middle of something when he arrived.

"I interrupted the moment, didn't I?"

"No, you didn't," said Sam as she pulled away from her mother and headed upstairs, "Night, mom. Love you."

"I love you too, Sammy-kins."

Jeremy raised an eyebrow and turned to Pam.

"What was that all about?" he asked.

"Oh, nothing," Pam replied, "We were just talking."

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

An hour later, Phantom and Specter were flying around, patrolling the streets with their Fenton Phones equipped.

"So, Sam made peace with her mom, huh?" Danny asked.

"For now," Specter replied, "They don't like you."

"No surprise there," Phantom smirked.

"I know you have more questions," said Specter, "_All _of you."

"_What if we do?" _Tucker asked through the Fenton Phones, _"You made it clear earlier that you'd rather tell us when you feel more comfortable?"_

"Thank God you've been pay attention," Specter sighed.

Silence fell upon the group for a moment before Specter glanced over at Danny.

"Nothing?" he asked.

"What?" Danny asked.

"You're not gonna ask?" Specter asked.

"Nope," Danny replied.

"_We've figured that at this point asking you anything personal is not gonna reward us with an answer," _said Sam.

"Huh… good," said Specter.

"Alright," said Danny.

Seconds passed as no one broke silence.

"Anyone else feeling awkward right now?" Specter asked, causing everyone to laugh.

"You have a weird sense of humor, you know that?" Danny chuckled.

"It's a miracle I still have one," said Specter, "Can I ask you guys something?"

"Sure, what's up?" Danny asked.

"If… _When_ I tell you guys, promise me you won't judge me, okay?" Specter asked.

"_That bad, huh?" _Tucker asked.

"No, it's actually much worse than that," said Specter.

"… _You're serious, aren't you?" _said Tucker.

"M-hm."

"Tre- Logan, you're making it sound so dramatic," said Danny, "Look, I won't judge you. Promise."

"_Same," _Tucker and Sam said at the same time.

"… Alright," Specter sighed, "I hope you can keep that promise."

His eyes turned blue and he glanced over to the side.

"Activity over to the north," he said, "Let's check it out."

Specter flew off before Danny could react.

"And just like that, straight back to work," said Danny.

"_Move it, Phantom!" _Specter shouted.

"_Just another night of patrol," _said Sam.

"You can say that again," Phantom chuckled as he flew over to help Specter.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

*** This is a similar, but not the same Cerberus as seen in the episode "Boxed Up Fury".**

**"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"****

**Fun fact:**** The Resistance is the opposing force fighting against the Overlords in Trevor's timeline. They will make an appearance in a short spinoff series I have planned in the future… Oh, crap, I just made a pun…**

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

**Uh oh… Looks like there's more history between Reaper and Trevor than the gang expected! I wonder what it is.**

**Well, **_**I **_**don't, since I'm writing the damn thing, XD.**

**This one took **_**way **_**longer than I expected to write. I kept scrapping ideas until I decided on this, but I'm glad about the way it turned out. Hopefully I can get 2 more episodes done next month. I'm also gonna start uploading another fanfic after episode 64 and alternate, two episodes here and one episode there, hopefully. No, it's not the spinoff I mentioned above, that's not until much later.**

**Like, follow, and please review! Until next time!**

**~ThePhantomHedgehog**


	3. Episode 63: Fire and Steel

**Welcome back, folks!**

**I managed to find a decent schedule for the time being to include some writing and managed to pop this out in less than 2 weeks. Hope you enjoy this one!**

**Ver. 1.0.0 (2/1/20)**

**Standard Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom. Yeah, shocking, I know. Anyways, let's get to it!**

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

It was late afternoon in Amity Park. Danny, Tucker, Sam, and Trevor were all sprawled around the Fenton Works living room, staring at the map that would lead to the Orbs of Power. Dust was sitting on Trevor's chest

"Maybe there's an Orb at Pariah Dark's keep?" Danny suggested.

"No, Reaper would have found one there when he left you unconscious with a spiked ceiling coming towards you*****," said Trevor, "I still can't believe you fell for that."

"_What about Hollywood?" _Jazz asked through Trevor's cellphone via speakerphone, _"If you look at the Orb on the top right, it looks as though it's near some hills with words on them."_

"Jazz, I think those stalagmites and stalactites inside a large cave," said Sam.

"_Well, it was worth a shot."_

"Are you sure you have time for this?" Danny asked, "You don't have to help us right now if you're too busy with college stuff."

"_Danny, it's the weekend and I have nothing better to do,"_ said Jazz, _"Besides, it's not like any of you have anything better to do either."_

"Touché," said Danny.

"This is ridiculous," Sam sighed, "We haven't found any information on the Orbs for almost 2 weeks and-"

She glanced over at Tucker and noticed that he was on his hands and knees looking for something under the couch.

"Tucker, what are you doing?" she asked.

"I can't find Tiffany," he replied as he pulled a pillow off the couch.

"You got _another _PDA?" Trevor asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No," Tucker replied as he started digging inside the couch, "A-ha! Found her!"

He removed his hand from the couch and revealed his prize.

"You're not Tiffany."

"Oh, _there's _the TV remote," Danny chuckled as he grabbed it from Tucker, "Thanks for finding it Tucker."

"Yeah, whatever," Tucker sulked as he sat back down in his seat.

"Foley, can you please focus?" Trevor asked.

"Well, I'm out of places to search for the Orbs," he replied.

"Really?" Trevor asked.

"Well, they must be somewhere, right?" Tucker asked, "I mean, someone made them, so at least one person should know. It's not like they just appeared out of thin air."

Trevor sat up so fast that Dust was launched off his chest and into Danny's lap.

"Say that again, Foley!" he exclaimed.

"Say what again?" Tucker asked.

"What you just said," Trevor said as he turned to him.

"I'm out of places to search for the Orb?"

"No, after that."

"It's not like they appeared out of thin air?" Tucker asked.

Trevor deadpanned.

"No, _before _that," he growled in annoyance.

"Someone made them?" Tucker asked.

"Yes!" Trevor exclaimed, "Foley, you're a genius!"

"I am!?"

"No," Trevor said flatly, causing Tucker to deadpan at him, "But that's actually a great idea!"

"You mean finding the creator of the Orbs of Power?" Danny asked.

"It may be our only lead," said Trevor, "I can't believe I didn't think of that sooner."

"_There's just one problem with that," _said Jazz, _"Do you know __**who **__created the Orbs?"_

"… Good point, Fenton."

"We might not know _who_," said Danny, "but I bet I know how to find them."

***Cue Intro***

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

**Danny Phantom in: Fire and Steel (Episode 63)**

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

"You kids ready?" Jack asked as he sat down and started up the Specter Speeder.

Tucker and Sam gave each other a nervous glance as they scooted over to make room.

"Yeah, we're ready, Mr. Fenton," Sam replied with uncertainty.

"Great!" Jack exclaimed, "I've always wanted to explore the Ghost Zone. And now I can, with my son on top of it!"

Danny and Trevor, who were standing between the Speeder and the Fenton Ghost Portal, turned their attention to Jack as the vehicle started up.

"Uh, dad?" Danny asked, "I don't mean to offend you or anything, but we can handle this ourselves."

"Danny, I know I can be a bit of a foolish clown at times," Jack sighed, "but when will I ever get another chance to explore the Ghost Zone with you?"

"Any time you're not out of town?" Trevor suggested, "If I may, Mr. Fenton, can you _please _restrain yourself from attacking every ghost we come across in the Ghost Zone?"

"You have my word that I, Jack Fenton, will not attack any ghosts that mean us no harm," Jack stated, pointing a thumb towards himself.

"20 bucks says he doesn't last 30 seconds," Tucker whispered to Sam.

"I didn't know you owned that many deer, Tucker," Trevor smirked.

His eyes suddenly widened.

"Oh, jeez, I need to capture Reaper before I turn into _you_," Trevor moaned as he turned to Danny.

"What can I say, I make a great role model," Danny smirked.

"We're all set over here, Danny!" Jack exclaimed, "Ready?"

A white and blue ring appeared around Danny and Trevor and the two halfas turned into their alter egos.

"We're ready," Phantom announced as he walked over to the door controls and pressed his thumb against the scanner.

"Uh, Danny?" Sam called out, "Your glove is in the way of the scanner."

"Hm?"

Danny looked down and noticed that the scanner wasn't performing the scan.

"Oh, right…" he chuckled and knocked himself on the forehead, "Stupid."

A white ring appeared around his wrist and it reverted back to human form. With the glove no longer obstructing the scanner, Danny pressed his thumb against it and the Portal opened.

"Hot dog!" Jack exclaimed, "Let's get a move on!"

Phantom joined Specter and the two flew into the Ghost Zone.

"Hold on tight, you two," Jack told Tucker and Sam as he took off after Danny and Logan.

Once inside, Jack gazed around the strange world from which ghosts lived in.

"Incredible," he noted, "I've never seen anything like it!"

"_Dad, over here," _Phantom said over the Fenton Phone, getting his father's attention.

Jack saw Phantom and Specter and flew the Speeder over to them.

"So, where to now?" Jack asked.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

A few minutes past before the team closed in on their destination.

"Brrrrrr!" Jack shivered, "It's freezing cold."

"Dad, didn't you bring a coat, like I told you to?" Danny asked over his shoulder.

Jack blinked a couple of times before reaching behind and grabbing his jacket.

"Where are we anyways?" he asked.

"The Realm of the Far Frozen," Danny replied as he and Specter flew down to the icy wasteland.

Jack piloted the ship along their flight path. Down below, a pair of ghost yetis saw something approaching their lands and turned around and left.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Danny and Logan landed on the snowy ground of the wasteland and looked around. The Specter Speeder landed behind them and Jack, Tucker, and Sam, all wearing Fenton hoodies, exited the vehicle. Everyone's breath was visible due to the extreme cold.

"What is this place?" Jack asked as he took in the scenery.

"It's a place where a good friend of ours lives," Danny explained, "Come on, his village is just through this canyon."

Everyone followed Danny through the snow and climbed over some large icicles that were lying on the ground.

"Remind me to melt most of this ice away so we can move the Speeder closer," said Specter.

A few seconds later, the gang entered the snowy village, but found no one around.

"Where is everyone?" Danny asked, scratching his head before putting his hands around his mouth, "Frostbite!? Hello!? Anyone here!?"

Behind the group, three pairs of icy blue eyes began to glow and fired cryo-ghost rays.

"Ha!" Specter exclaimed as he spun around fired a powerful pyrokinetic green ghost ray, countering the six smaller ghost rays, "Nice try, Frostbite, but you and your people are gonna have to do better than that!"

A hearty laugh was heard as Frostbite appeared from a nearby cave.

"An excellent counterattack, Specter!" he exclaimed before he noticed the others, "Ah, Great One! Welcome!"

"It's good to see you again too, Frostbite," said Danny as he and Frostbite shook hands, "I take it you know Specter."

"Of course. He comes often to train," Frostbite explains.

"You can never train too much," Specter smirked.

"I see you've brought your friends as well," Frostbite noted before turning to Jack, "I do not believe we have met."

"Uh, yes- I mean no!" Jack exclaimed nervously, "***Ahem* **I am Jack Fenton; world's greatest- or _second _greatest- ghost hunter!"

Frostbite and his people gave the older Fenton a suspicious glare.

"I also happen to be Danny's father," Jack added.

"I see," said Frostbite.

"Don't worry about him, Frostbite," said Danny, "He's knows my secret and he's not going to do anything to you or your people."

"I even left all my weapons in the Speeder," Jack said proudly with his fists against his hips.

"Hmm…" Frostbite hummed before smiling, "Well, it's an honor to meet the father of the Great One."

"And it's nice to meet nice ghosts for a change," Jack replied as he and Frostbite shook hands before glancing over his shoulder, "Great One?"

"Yeah, they insist on calling me that," Danny explained, slightly embarrassed as he rubbed the back of his head.

"So, what brings you all here, Great One?" Frostbite asked.

"We need you to do us a favor," said Phantom, "A _big _one."

"What sort of favor?" Frostbite asked.

"We need to find the remaining Orbs of Power and we think the Infi-map can lead us…"

Danny stopped talking when he saw Frostbite's eyes narrow.

"Great One… how do you know about the Orbs of Power?" Frostbite asked calmly, but sternly.

Danny, Tucker, and Sam turned to Specter in confusion, but he just shrugged.

"A ghost from the future came to our time and is planning to use the Orbs to control everything," Danny answered, "Don't you remember? Freakshow used one to take control of your mind?"******

Frostbite turned to Specter and approached him.

"You should have told me this information earlier, Specter," he told him.

"To be fair, I had no intention of using the Infi-map to _directly _look for the Orbs, since the map won't allow that," Specter replied before explaining to everyone, "In my timeline, we tried using the Infi-map to find the Orbs, but it would always return here, much to my surprise _and _relief."

"As it should," Frostbite noted before turning to the rest of the group, "If that's the case, why would you want the Infi-map?"

"We thought maybe we could use it to find the creator of the Orbs," Sam explained, "They could help us find the rest of the Orbs."

"And what do you plan to do with the Orbs?" Frostbite asked suspiciously.

"Nothing," Specter replied, "All we're doing is keeping them from Reaper."

"The ghost from the future?" Frostbite asked, to which Specter nodded in response, "Are you certain that this is best course of action?"

"Well, Reaper _does _have a map to the Orbs, so better us than him," said Tucker.

"Frostbite, if I may?" Jack asked, getting his attention, "I'm well aware that you and your people have praised Danny for his actions against Perry Dork."

"_Pariah Dark_," Danny corrected.

"He trusts Specter, as well as all of us," Jack continued, "And Tucker brings up a good point; it's better if we have the Orbs rather than Reaper."

Frostbite began pacing back and forth, rubbing his chin. Danny glanced over to Specter.

"Why didn't you tell him about what was happening?" he whispered to Specter.

"You really think I want every ghost in the Ghost Zone to help us find the Orbs?" Specter asked, "How do you think _that _will turn out?"

"But it's _Frostbite_," Danny argued.

"Word travels fast around the Ghost Zone," Specter whispered.

"Very well," said Frostbite, getting their attention, "Follow me."

The yeti ghost turned around and entered the nearby cave. Everyone followed him inside.

"I never knew ghosts could use advanced technology," Jack said aloud as he walked by some equipment.

"We ghosts tend to stay in secluded areas of the Ghost Zone, rarely ever heading into the human world," Frostbite explained, "That doesn't mean we completely isolate ourselves from technology."

"We should compare notes sometime," Jack suggested.

"I'll consider your offer," Frostbite replied.

"Gotta admit, your dad and Frostbite sure got along quickly," Sam said to Danny.

"Yeah, I wasn't expecting that," he admitted.

"Ah, here we are," said Frostbite as they reached the small altar where the Infi-map was floating, "Are you absolutely certain this is the right choice, Great One?"

Phantom peaked over to Specter.

"I honestly have no other ideas of finding the Orbs, aside from blindly searching the Ghost Zone and Earth," said Specter.

Danny nodded and turned to Frostbite.

"Yes," he said, "This is our last possible chance of getting the remaining Orbs of Power before Reaper does."

"Very well, Great One," Frostbite sighed before he reached over and grabbed the Infi-map.

He carefully rolled it up and handed it to Phantom.

"I wish you the best of luck, Great One," said Frostbite before turning the Specter, "You and I will have a long discussion upon your return."

"Do we though?" Specter asked.

"Thanks, Frostbite," said Danny before he turned to the rest of the team, "Hope this works."

The gang, Jack, and Frostbite left the cave and headed back to the Specter Speeder.

"Alright," said Phantom as he opened the map, "Let's see if this wor- WHOOOOOOoooooooaaaaaa!"

Before he was ready, Danny was dragged through the air by the Infi-map, quickly leaving everyone else behind.

"Phantom, you idiot!" Specter shouted as he took off after him, "Wait for us!"

Tucker and Sam nervously smiled at Frostbite.

"Well, it was nice seeing you again, Frostbite, but we better get going," Sam said quickly before hopping into the Specter Speeder.

"Uh, yeah, what she said," said Tucker as he pulled Jack inside the Specter Speeder.

Jack activated the vehicle and floored it after the two half-ghosts. As Frostbite watched them disappear into the distance, one of his fellow yeti ghosts approached him.

"What are you thinking, Frostbite?" he asked.

"I fear that they are making a grave mistake," Frostbite sighed, "I only hope that I'm wrong."

Frostbite and his fellow ghost turned and walked away back to the village. Had they been more aware, they would have noticed a cloaked figure turning visible and grinning menacingly before silently flying after the heroes. Meanwhile, Danny was screaming across the Ghost Zone as the Infi-map zigzagged its way around to Danny's desired destination.

"_Phantom, will you stop screaming into the Fenton Phone!?" _Sam exclaimed, _"You're gonna make us all go deaf!"_

Phantom put a hand over his mouth as he continued to be pulled around.

"_The muffling is just as bad," _Specter said flatly, _"I'm just gonna take this thing off and follow."_

"_Better than the screaming," _Tucker quipped, _"… Specter?"_

"_Guess he took his Fenton Phone off," _said Sam.

"Or he broke another one," Danny quipped, finally able to calm down, "You guys able to keep up?"

"_Don't you worry, Danny!" _Jack exclaimed, _"I've got my eyes on you. You won't be able to lose us!"_

"_Danny, look out!" _Sam exclaimed.

Phantom looked forward and gasped.

***WHAM***

He faceplanted straight into a stone brick wall and slumped to the ground a couple feet below.

"Ow," he groaned as he picked himself up, "I'm definitely gonna feel _that _tomorrow."

"Phantom!" Specter exclaimed as he landed beside him, "You okay?"

"I'm fine," he replied before holding up the Infi-map in his hand, "Still got this."

He and Specter glanced over to the structure Phantom crashed into.

"What is this place?" Danny asked.

"Good question," said Logan, "I've never been this far out into the Ghost Zone before."

The roar of the Speeder's engines got their attention; they turned around and watched as Jack practically slammed the vehicle into the ground.

"Nailed it!" he exclaimed as he hopped out of the Speeder, "Another successful landing by Jack Fenton!"

"Yay…" Sam half-heartedly cheered as she got out.

"Whoo-hoo…" Tucker said sarcastically behind her.

The three looked up at the structure before them. It appeared to be a small medieval fort; stone walls, a small drawbridge and a large stone building inside. Random scraps of metal were lying all over the grounds.

"What's this place?" Jack asked them.

Tucker and Sam shrugged.

"You sure this is the place, Da- uh, Phantom?" Specter asked.

Danny's eyes widened as he stared at Specter.

"No! Nooooo! I almost said _Danny_, not dad," Specter clarified, "I'm not your son; get that idea out of your head. It was a slip of the tongue!"

Danny turned his attention back to the building.

"We should head inside," said Tucker.

Everyone nodded and followed Danny inside. Not far, their unnoticed follower was watching from a nearby floating boulder.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

The gang was exploring the strange place for a few minutes before they reached the top floor of the main building. Phantom and Specter were using ecto-energy in their hands to illuminate the dark rooms. At the top of the stairs they had climbed, Danny pushed open a dusty old wooden door and stepped inside.

"Whoa," he breathed as everyone followed him inside.

The large circular room they entered had dozens of old weapons and armor lined up along the wall.

"What is all this?" Sam asked.

Everyone spread out around the room and looked around. Danny saw something in a dark portion of the room and went over to investigate. As the light illuminated the area, Danny realized that he had stumbled across an old forge; there was a stone furnace, an anvil, a wooden table with various tools lying on it, all covered in dust. On the other side of the anvil, Danny noticed something was leaning over it.

"Found something?" Sam asked over his shoulder.

"Maybe," he replied, "Hey, there's a closed window right here."

"I'll get it," said Sam.

She reached over and pushed the small window open. As soon as she did, more light entered the room and revealed the object next to the anvil. Sam looked over and was face to face with skeletal remains covered in dusty old garments.

"Eep!" Sam exclaimed as she jumped back.

"Sam!?" Jack exclaimed in concern, "Are you okay?"

Everyone gathered next to Phantom as he calmed Sam down.

"I'm fine, guys," she assured them, "Just didn't expect _that_."

Everyone glanced over and saw the old remains seated beside the anvil. Specter walked over and inspected the remains. After a few seconds, he stood up straight and sighed.

"Welp… so much for that idea," he said, "I think we found the maker of the Orbs of Power aright."

"Great," Danny groaned, "Now what?"

"There must be _something _here," said Tucker, "Why else would the map lead us here?"

"To screw with us?" Specter dryly joked.

"Well, _someone _must live here," Tucker argued, "Why else would this place be here?"

Specter glanced around the room, thinking it over.

"You might be right, Foley," said Specter, "But if that's true, then where's the homeowner?"

Suddenly, the door and window slammed shut, leaving only the limited light from Phantom and Specter.

"What's going on?" Phantom exclaimed.

A dark, evil laugh filled the dark room, causing the heroes to stand back to back.

"Oh, no…" Specter groaned, "Not _him_."

"A pleasure to see you all again," said a dark voice, "Shame it will be short-lived."

Everyone turned to where the sound of the voice was coming from saw a pair of burning red donut-shaped eyes from the shadows followed by the sound of a blade being unsheathed. The ghost slowly floated forward as black mist covered the ground.

"Reaper," Phantom hissed.

"Shame your friend, Specter, couldn't stop me before," Reaper chuckled, "This will make things much easier."

Specter blinked in front of Reaper and blasted him into the wall with a blue ghost ray.

"Why do you think Specter isn't here?" the halfa smirked, referring to himself in third person.

Reaper glared at Specter and groaned in annoyance.

"I thought I was just seeing things when I saw you back in the Far Frozen," Reaper sighed as he began to circle around the group, "Guess Clockwork grew a backbone and let you stay?"

"You're not getting rid of me that easily," said Specter.

Danny glanced over to the others.

"Guys, you need to get out of here," he whispered to them, "We don't have anything on us that we can use against him."

"We have plenty of weapons back in the Specter Speeder," Jack whispered.

"Oh, that tin can?" Reaper called out, "You'll have to find a new ride."

"You're an animal, you know that?" Specter asked.

"How did you even find this place!?" Danny asked.

"Wasn't hard," Reaper smiled, "I knew Specter would always play it safe and have an extra copy of the map on him. I figured he'd give it to you guys, and I'd let you do all the work for me. You're at, what? Four Orbs so far?"

"How did he know that we found another Orb?" Tucker asked.

"Tucker!" Specter exclaimed.

"Because you just told me, genius," said Reaper, "And now you have no clue where the last two are."

"Neither do you," said Phantom, "If you knew we didn't know where they were, that means you don't either."

Reaper glared at Danny for that deduction.

"Good guess, Phantom," said Specter, "Now, Reaper, let's get to business. Where's-"

Reaper fired a pair of red ghost rays from his eyes at Specter, who quickly ducked out of the way.

"Oh, the hell with this," he grumbled before hold his hand out and holding Reaper in place with his telekinesis, "I'm in no mood for games! Now, where's Cole!?"

"Your brother?" Reaper smirked, "Don't worry about _him_. You'll see him again _real _soon. Just not the way you'd like."

Before Specter could react, Reaper tilted his scythe and it tapped the blue aura around him.

"UGH!" Specter gasped, gripping his forehead in one hand.

The sudden surge of pain in his head was enough for Specter to lose his hold on Reaper and the ghost prepared to attack the halfa.

"Specter, look out!" Phantom warned.

***WAP***

"_I think not,"_ said a deep ancient voice.

Reaper was unable to move as a pair of black gloved hands held him by the back of his neck and gripped his scythe.

"What is this!?" Reaper exclaimed.

"_Your soul… so full of vile poison and sadistic cruelty…"_ the voice continued, _"You are not __**worthy**__."_

Everyone watched as the stones that made up the walls and ceiling began to levitate and fly around the building.

"_Do not return here,"_ the voice said sternly before a massive green ghost ray shot Reaper in the back and carried him far into the distance in a matter of seconds.

The gang stared into the vastness of the Ghost Zone and blinked before turning their heads back to whoever saved them. But the only thing they saw was the remains sitting next to the anvil, causing them to look around in confusion.

"What… was that?" Phantom asked.

"I think we found the person we were looking for," Specter replied with unease.

"Where is he?" Jack asked, "I don't see him."

"_Humans… in my domain?" _the voice asked; its voice coming from every inch of the room.

"Guess he's still here," said Tucker.

"Oh, _really_?" Sam asked sarcastically, "The flying bricks not a big indicator?"

"Who are you?" Phantom asked.

"_You do not ask me questions, human!" _the voice boomed, _"You will answer __**mine**__. Why are you here?"_

"We're here for the Orbs of Power," Specter replied, "We're gathering them to keep them away from the hands of Reaper, the ghost you sent flying away."

"… _Gather them you say… A very foolish thing to do," _the voice said slowly.

"So is doing nothing and letting Reaper get the Orbs," said Phantom.

"_You two… you are ghosts… yet you are not… what are you?"_

"We're what you might call a _half-ghost_," said Phantom, "Half ghost, half human."

"_Half-ghost… an amalgamation of human and ghost… how interesting."_

The stones in the air began to slow down and return to their original position. The ceiling and walls were reconstructed, and a small fire came to life in the furnace.Suddenly, an orange aura appeared around the remains and its eyes began to glow a gold color.

"_Perhaps… I have misjudged you," _said the voice, which now came from the skeleton's mouth, glowing the same gold color as the eyes as it talked, _"Tell me… what brings a… __**half-ghost**__ from the future to my forge?"_

Specter's eyes widened.

"How did you-?"

"_I have read your mind, young one," _the voice explained, _"I have read all of your minds."_

"That's a bit invasive of our privacy, ya know," said Tucker.

"If you know so much, then help us find the remaining Orbs of Power," said Phantom.

There was a long moment of silence before the voice began talking again.

"_Do you know who I am? Do you know my name?"_

"I presume you are the one who created the Orbs of Power," said Specter, "Your name is irrelevant."

"_Heh-heh-heh-heh-heh…Huuuuhhh… You are correct… I crafted the Orbs of Power… my greatest work… __**and **__greatest mistake."_

"Irrelevant it is then," Specter dryly joked in annoyance, "Can we cut to the chase and tell us where the last two Orbs are?"

"Logan!" Sam hissed, "Have some patience!"

"_Such anger… such… misery…"_

The creator's body began to jerk periodically as it tried to reach over to the table and grab a tool. The sudden movement of the ancient remains caused even Specter to cringe a little. After a few seconds of difficulty, the creator managed to have some form of motor control and glanced around the room.

"Such _**corruption**_," he growled as he picked up a smithy hammer and pointed it at Specter, "Bring it to me."

Everyone raised an eyebrow and turned to Specter as he sighed and approached the archaic ghost. He reached behind and pulled out a familiar yellow object.

"Ah, the Orb of Strength," said the creator.

"How long have you had that on you!?" Phantom exclaimed.

"Since we got it back from Reaper," Specter replied without turning his head, "Yes, I'm a hypocrite, but unlike all of you, I can afford to use this as a last resort against Reaper."

Everyone glared at him as he handed the Orb to the creator.

"Like I said, I'm going back to my timeline once Reaper's been dealt with and- AAAAAAUUUUGGGHHHH!"

The creator grabbed Specter's arm and instantly began to drain green ecto-energy from him.

"You foolish child," said the creator, "The Orbs cannot be used ever again! You plan to keep them away from your arch-enemy, yet you also plan to use them against him."

"Hey!" Danny exclaimed as he flew over, "Let him go!"

"Silence!" the creator boomed as his eyes began to glow purple.

A magical barrier appeared around the creator and Specter. Phantom fired a ghost ray at it, but it deflected back towards him, hitting him in the chest and slamming him into the wall.

"Danny!" Tucker, Sam, and Jack exclaimed and rushed over to his side.

"You have been deceiving them, Specter," the creator said as he continued to drain his energy, "You seek revenge more than you wish for justice. You come alone to fight Reaper and yet you withhold information from your allies."

Through the pain, Specter opened his eyes and glared daggers at the creator. His eyes were now a cerulean blue and a small flame occasionally flickered in his right eye.

"You don't know me," Specter growled before he began erupting blue electricity all around his body and electrocuting the creator.

The creator jerked his hand away from Specter and the shield went down. Specter blinked away from the creator and stood next to Phantom as he got back up and they held their hands out toward the ghost.

"You know so much… and yet so little," the creator muttered as he held up the Orb that Specter had dropped, "These Orbs were never meant to be used for power. They were hidden away so they would never return."

"Never return?" Tucker asked, "What are you talking about?"

"You think I created the Orbs because humans couldn't take care of their world? No… no, I had created the Orbs long before then."

"For what purpose?" Specter asked as he winced in pain.

"I've said too much," said the creator, "Leave now and never return. Your search for the Orbs is futile and ultimately perilous."

"If that's how it's going to be, so be it," Specter muttered.

His hand started glowing blue as he telekinetically grabbed the Orb and caught it.

"Come on, let's get out of here," said Specter as he stored the Orb away.

Everyone nodded and made their way to the exit.

"Heed my warning, heroes!" the creator boomed, "You continue this quest, none of you will survive!"

Phantom stopped in his tracks and glanced over his shoulder.

"Is that a warning? _Or a threat?_" he asked before following the others out the door.

The door creaked shut and the furnace fire died out. Only the creators glowing eyes emitted a small amount of light in the darkness. A few moments past before a pair of red donut-shaped eyes appeared behind the creator's body as his eyes flickered purple a couple of times.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

A few minutes later, Danny and Logan were flying next to the Specter Speeder as everyone was flying back to the Fenton Works.

"I can't believe we fell for the 'I destroyed your ride home' schtick," said Tucker.

"Yeah, I should have seen that one coming," Specter sighed, "My bad."

"So," said Sam as she glared at Specter, "Mind telling us why _you _are carrying around an Orb?"

"Short version: I'm not from this timeline, ergo my life is not worth fighting for; your lives are," Specter explained, "I'm going back home after capturing Reaper. The Orb is a last resort. That is all."

"And what if you _do _get corrupted by the Orb?" Danny asked.

"What makes you think I'm not already?" Specter asked, "The Orbs been reaching out to me, so to speak; trying co convince me that I should use it _now _and get the job done."

"Then why don't you?" Jack asked, "When it comes to hunting ghosts, isn't the easiest solution usually the best solution?"

"Uh, dad? I don't think that's how the saying goes," Phantom pointed out.

"Have I ever told you guys that Reaper has never once been captured?" Specter asked as they closed in on the Fenton Ghost Portal.

"I don't recall reading anything about him getting captured in the file*******," said Sam.

"And now you know why," said Specter, "Look, I'm not saying I like the idea of me having an Orb of Power on me all the time as well, but _anything _can happen."

"Speaking of anything, we forgot to return the Infi-map back to Frostbite," said Sam as she held up the rolled-up map.

"I'll return it tomorrow," said Phantom before yawning, "I'm beat."

They arrived at the portal and the two halfas followed Jack through. In the labs, Maddie was running some experiments with ectoplasm while Dust, who was in her normal form, was researching on Danny's laptop. As soon as the Speeder arrived through the portal, she morphed into her raven form and flew over to Specter as he landed on the ground.

"So, what now?" she asked him.

Jack raised an eyebrow in confusion and turned to Danny.

"Those two have a psychic link with each other; they can communicate with their minds," he explained before he changed back to human form.

"Well, if he won't help us, all we _can _do is do what we've doing and just wing it," Specter replied, slightly raising his arms and letting them fall to his sides.

"I might have an idea," said Maddie, "If you don't mind, I think I can make a device that can track down the other balls."

"_Orbs_," Specter corrected.

"If you could let me borrow the _Orb _for a few minutes and let me scan its energy signature, we might be able to search the other Orbs that way," Maddie suggested.

"It's better than what we've got now," Specter sighed as he pulled out the Orb, "Just be careful with it- Huh?"

He stared at the Orb for a couple of seconds before his eyes widened.

"THAT SON OF A BITCH!" he shouted as he dropped the Orb and rocketed back into the Ghost Zone.

Dust quickly flapped her wings before she hit the ground and gently landed.

"What's wrong!?" Danny asked, but Specter was already long gone.

Maddie bent down and picked up the Orb and examined it.

"Is there a problem, Maddie?" Jack asked.

"I'm not sure," she replied, "Danny, is there any reason for Specter to act like that?"

"With him, who knows?" Danny shrugged as he walked over and glanced at the Orb.

Dust flew up and perched herself on Danny's shoulder and looked at the Orb.

"Oh, boy…" she groaned, "That's not the Orb. It's a fake."

Everyone's eyes widened.

"He's going back to the forge!" Danny exclaimed.

A white ring appeared around his waist and he flew after Specter.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Back at the forge, the room was completely dark and still as Specter slowly opened the door and invisibly floated inside. His eyes faintly turned blue as he glanced around the room.

"I know you're in here," he said loudly as he turned visible and made himself present, "_Both _of you."

"Impressive," said Reaper as he emerged from the darkness, "I was hoping you wouldn't notice for some time. But you're too late."

A large hammer with a glowing yellow aura appeared behind Specter and slammed into the back of his head, knocking him out. Specter's body went limp and he fell to the ground, turning back to human form.

"Excellent work, Forgemaster," Reaper smiled.

"Just doing what needs to be done, Reaper," the ancient skeleton replied, "Shall I prepare for Phantom's arrival as well?"

"Indeed," said Reaper, "Just stick to the plan and all will go smoothly."

The Forgemaster nodded and made his way downstairs. Reaper looked down at Trevor.

"Oh, how I would love to _**kill **_you right now," he sneered, "But then, how will I ever experience the look on your face when you watch me kill everyone in front of you?"

Reaper began to laugh darkly as he pulled out the Orb of Strength.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Not long after, Phantom arrived just outside the creator's domain. He took a deep breath and sighed as he walked across the drawbridge. Just around the corner, the Forgemaster spied on him and followed him.

"This plan better work," Danny sighed as he put on his Fenton Phone.

"_Don't worry, Danny, you've got this," _said Sam on the other side.

"_And so are we," _said Maddie.

Phantom took a deep breath and sighed.

"Alright, let's do this."

He pushed open the door to the main building and stepped inside.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Trevor slowly opened his eyes and lightly shook his head. He quickly realized he was sitting in the middle of the forge room and wrapped in old green chains.

"Ow," he moaned before glaring up at a smirking Reaper, "You still watch people in their sleep, sicko?"

"Only the ones I enjoy toying with," Reaper smirked.

"Given that I don't see anyone else here, I'm assuming that you only have me."

"For now," Reaper replied, wiping his finger cross one of the scythe blades, "And your brother of course."

"Why is it that every time my family is in trouble, you're always involved?" Trevor asked, "Look, I get that you might be attracted to me, but I don't swing that way."

Reaper gave Trevor a hard side-eye.

"You know what? Kill me now before I turn into Phantom," Trevor said flatly.

"Kill you? And have you miss all the fun?"

"Well, given that the chains are made of frickin' _refined ecto-ranium_, I doubt I'll be doing much of anything," Trevor hissed, "Since I'm stuck here waiting for what will most likely be the most embarrassing rescue attempt, mind telling me where Cole is?"

"He's… _around_," Reaper said cryptically, "Let's just say he's _dying _to be rescued."

"You expect me to believe you'll kill him?" Trevor asked with a raised eyebrow, "He's your only leverage against me."

"Leverage? Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-haaa…" Reaper laughed, "Oh, Trevor, you really think I didn't know?"

"Know what?"

"Know how to get my hands on _this_?" Reaper asked as he revealed the Orb of Strength to the halfa.

"Let me guess… you summoned Betelgeuse by chanting his name three times and he brokered a deal between you and the creator of the Orbs."

"Your mental database of old movies disgusts me," said Reaper.

"So, I was right," Trevor said flatly, "Is my prize trapping you in my Fenton Thermos and delivering you to Satan on a silver platter?"

Reaper had a huge grin on his face as he revealed another object in his hand. Trevor's eyes widened and he began to struggle in his restraints.

"Oh, _now _you're worried," Reaper smirked, "And I haven't even talked about your rescue party's arrival yet."

"Wait, what!?" Trevor exclaimed.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Downstairs, Phantom was slowly making his way around the old fort, searching for Trevor.

"Specter?" he whispered, "Where are you?"

He pushed open a door and poked his head inside.

"Anyone home?" he called out softly.

Nothing but empty wooden barrels, dust, and cobwebs. Danny stood up and closed the door.

***CRASH***

He barely took three steps forward before the door he just closed smashed open and a dozen barrels floated out of the room and darted towards him. Phantom quickly fired ghost rays at the incoming projectiles and blasted them into splinters. The last barrel was inches away from hitting Phantom when the hero sent his fist through it and destroyed it.

"Guess someone's home after all," he muttered as he glanced around the room.

"You did return," said an ancient voice, "That was a grave mistake."

"More like a _barrel _mistake," said Danny as he floated away and entered another room.

"If you value your life, you leave now," said Forgemaster, "This is your last chance."

"I'm not leaving without Logan," Danny replied, "Where is he!?"

"Don't you worry," Forgemaster said behind Danny.

Phantom turned around and gasped as Forgemaster grabbed his head and slammed it into the ground. Upon losing consciousness, Danny reverted back to human form.

"You fool," Forgemaster sighed as he picked Danny up and carried up over his shoulder.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Trevor continued to struggle in his restraints, with Reaper watching in amusement.

"Sucks not being able to go ghost when you've got that anti-ghost element around you, doesn't it?" he smirked.

"Brulu en infero, murdisto," Trevor growled.

**(Burn in hell, murderer.)**

"You first," said Reaper.

Out of the corner of his eye, Trevor saw Forgemaster enter the room with Danny over his shoulder. Reaper glanced over and noticed as well.

"Ah, you've captured Phantom!" he exclaimed, "Excellent work."

Forgemaster floated past Reaper as he handed the Orb of Strength to him. The Forgemaster stored it away and dropped Danny next to Trevor.

"Can it possibly get any worse?" Trevor deadpanned.

***WHACK***

When Trevor was staring at Danny, Reaper floated behind him and knocked him out with a quick whack across the back of the head, instantly knocking him out again.

"Since that's our only chain, use it to tie those two together," Reaper ordered.

Forgemaster nodded and began removing the chain from Trevor.

"The others will be here soon," said Reaper, "And without their heroes to protect them, we'll be able to make quick work out of all of them."

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Overlooking the fort from a distance, Jack, Maddie, and Sam were seated in the Specter Speeder, waiting anxiously.

"Danny, are you okay?" Sam asked into the Fenton Phone.

"Sam, that's the tenth time you've tried contacting him," said Maddie, "He's probably busy fighting a ghost."

"Or he's been _captured,_" said Sam, "I don't think this plan of his is working."

"Well… what should we do?" Jack asked, "The scans were showing were ghosts, now there's only two."

"Maybe Danny and Specter captured the ghost?" Sam asked.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

"_If that were the case, why haven't they left the fort yet?" _Jack asked.

"_We may have been mistaken," _said Maddie, _"What if we were wrong to assume there was only one ghost here when Specter arrived? What if there were __**two **__and Specter was taken?"_

Reaper's smile grew as he held the Fenton Phone to his head.

"_Then that means only two things," _said Sam, _"Either Danny had captured one of the ghosts…"_

"_Or the ghosts have captured him too!" _Jack exclaimed, _"We shouldn't have let him go in alone!"_

"_That does it!" Maddie exclaimed, "We're going in and saving my son!"_

"_And Specter," _Sam added calmly.

"_And Specter!" _Maddie exclaimed.

Reaper tossed the Fenton Phone next to the unconscious half-ghosts that were tied with their backs together.

"Looks like the fun is about to begin."

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

As Jack carefully landed the Speeder in front of the draw bridge, the vehicle's occupants armed themselves for battle. Sam slipped on her Fenton Wrist Ray, Maddie strapped on the Fenton Specter Deflector as she pulled out the Fenton Lipstick Blaster********, and Jack put on the Fenton Ghost Gloves.

"Let's go," Jack said grimly and stepped out of the Speeder.

Sam and Maddie followed him out and they marched across the bridge. As soon as they were inside the fort, the drawbridge behind them instantly raised and slammed shut, trapping them inside, causing them to spin around and notice.

***WHAM***

The Forgemaster landed on the ground before the three, getting their attention.

"So, you three must be the valiant rescue party," he chuckled as he stood up, "How dull."

Sam, Jack, and Maddie aimed their weapons at the ghost.

"Where's Danny and Specter?" Sam asked.

"They're still around," Forgemaster answered, "I'd let them run free, but they're a bit _tied up _at this time."

"You better tell us where my son is," Maddie threatened, "or I will make you wish you had never been born!"

Forgemaster cackled as pulled out his hammer.

"Human, I have lived in the Ghost Zone for tens of _thousands _of years!" he exclaimed, "I've seen every vile action done by humans against ghosts. You think you scare _me_?"

The three ghost hunters glanced at one another and nodded.

"Not scared, eh?" Jack smirked, "Do you know who I am?"

"No," Forgemaster said flatly.

"I am _Jack Fenton_!" Jack exclaimed, "My wife and I are the world's greatest ghost hunters! And we don't run from ghosts. We _chase _'em! And I never back down from a challenge."

He cracked his knuckles as his narrowed eyes

"And I love a challenge."

The Forgemaster lowered his hammer and raised his left hand up. A yellow aura appeared around it and metal scrap flew off the ground toward the Forgemaster. The pieces aligned together on the back of his arm, forming a large circular shield; the cracks in between glowing yellow.

"As do I," Forgemaster remarked before dashing over the ground towards Jack, "Hrraaahhhhh!"

Jack quickly stepped aside as the hammer smashed into the ground. Maddie aimed the tube of lipstick at the ghost and fired. Forgemaster quickly raised his shield and deflected the ecto-energy back at her. Maddie gasped and backflipped out of the way. Jack ran up and swung his fist at the ghost's head, but the Forgemaster quickly turned intangible, casing Jack to lose his footing and land on his stomach. Forgemaster turned tangible and lifted his hammer, reeling it back with the intention to swing it at Jack. Before he could attack, two ghost rays hit him in the back, blasting him away from Jack.

"Rrrgghh…" the Forgemaster growled as he turned around and watched Sam and Maddie smirk at him, "Why you-"

***BAM***

Jack took the opportunity to get back up and send his fist flying across the Forgemaster's face. The ghost crashed into the stone brick walls off the fort and glared at Jack.

"We'll keep him, busy," Maddie told Sam, "You go and find the boys!"

"Got it," Sam replied as she turned and ran inside the main building.

Maddie turned back to the Forgemaster and charged him. No one noticed Reaper peering through the tower window, watching everything happening below.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Sam quietly made her way up the stone stairs that led up to the forge.

"Danny! Trevor!" she whispered.

She quietly tiptoed towards the door and slowly opened it. She poked her head inside and gasped.

"Danny!"

The older halfa began to stir.

"Sam?" he groaned.

Sam rushed over to him and got to her knees.

"Are you okay?" she asked as she grabbed the chains.

"Yeah… I'm fine," Danny replied, "Where am I?"

"Back in the forge," Sam replied, "Ugh, it's no use! These chains have you and Trevor tied up tight."

"Trevor?" Danny asked before he glanced over his shoulder and shook Trevor, "Hey, Trevor! You awake?"

Trevor didn't reply. Sam grabbed his shoulders and tried waking him herself.

"Trevor! Wake up!" she exclaimed.

"It's no use, Sam," Danny sighed, "He's completely out."

His eyes glanced down on the ground and he noticed the Fenton Phone.

"Hey, can you grab that?" he asked Sam.

She looked over and grabbed the Fenton Phone before focusing back on the chain.

"What's with the green chain?" Sam asked.

"If I had to guess? Ecto-ranium," said Danny.

"Correct answer."

Danny and Sam looked over and gasped as Reaper relinquished his invisibility and slashed his scythe down. Sam quickly rolled to the side, barely avoiding the blade. She got back to her feet and grabbed her upper right arm.

"You're a fast one," Reaper smirked as he wiped a finger across his blade, cleaning off the blood, "but not fast enough."

"You are _so _gonna get it when I get my hands on you," Danny growled as he struggled in the chains.

"Good luck with that," Reaper replied before he charged toward Sam.

"_**NOW!**_" Sam shouted.

A huge cryo-ghost ray erupted from the entrance and blasted Reaper against the wall, trapping all but his head in ice.

"NO!" Reaper exclaimed, "What is this!?"

"Remember that rescue party?" Tucker smirked as he entered the room, "That wasn't the rescue party."

Everyone watched as Frostbite and two other yeti ghosts entered the room.

"_This _is the rescue party," Tucker finished.

"Great work, Tucker!" Danny exclaimed.

"Hey, _someone _had to bring the calvary," said Tucker.

Reaper glared at the new arrivals and fired his eye beams at them.

"Look out!" Frostbite exclaimed as he got in front of Tucker and created a large ice pillar in front of him.

The ghost rays shattered the ice and Reaper, who had broken free, lunged toward Frostbite. Sam raised her arm and fired her weapon, hitting Reaper in the face.

"AGH!" Reaper exclaimed, grabbing his face.

Frostbite fired a pair of his own eye beams at Reaper, freezing his body. Reaper removed his hand, revealing his raging red eyes. His hand clenched his scythe as an unsettling red aura surrounded his body.

"ENOUGH!" he shouted.

Before anyone could react, Reaper unleashed a powerful repulsion shield that sent everyone flying against the wall and filling the room with dust. Danny got to his hands and knees, coughing up the dust.

"Huh?" he moaned, "I'm… free?"

Reaper flew towards the two villagers and grabbed them by their heads.

"I have _had it_," he hissed as he slammed their heads together and dropped them to the ground, "with all these interruptions."

He reached down and grabbed both their heads in one hand and slid his scythe over their throats. Through the dust, a pair of bright icy blue eyes appeared behind Reaper and fired another pair of eyebeams at the ghost. His arm and scythe were frozen in place as the formed against the wall and floor.

"You will not harm my people!" Frostbite roared as he batted Reaper away with a swift backhand.

Frostbite picked up his fallen brethren and began carrying them toward Tucker and Sam, who were slowly recovering from Reaper's attack. Reaper glared at the leader of the Far Frozen and threw his scythe at him.

"Frostbite, look out!" Tucker exclaimed.

The yeti turned his head and gasped as the scythe spun through the air right at him. Suddenly, a green aura surrounded the scythe and it froze in place, inches away from Frostbite's face.

"What!?" Reaper exclaimed.

Straining groans got everyone's attention and they turned toward the source; Danny Phantom holding out both his glowing hands and telekinetically holding the scythe in place.

"I won't let you hurt them!" Phantom exclaimed, straining and sweat dripping down his face.

"How did you get-URK!"

Reaper didn't get the chance to finish asking his question before a familiar green chain flew through the air and wrapped around his neck. As soon as the metal touched him, Reaper's body was covered in what appeared to be blue-highlighted white electricity, causing him the yell in pain.

"Hurts, doesn't it?"

Everyone glanced over and saw Specter, with the chain wrapped around his lower right arm, yanking Reaper towards him. The same white arcs were all over his body, causing him pain as well.

"Everyone, get out of here!" he shouted, "He has the Orb of Knowledge!"

"What!?" Sam exclaimed, "How!? I thought you destroyed it!"

Reaper opened one eye, grabbed the chain, and jerked Specter towards him. Specter quickly reoriented himself midair and kicked Reaper in the chest.

"UUGH!" Reaper exclaimed as slammed into the wall.

Frostbite hurried to the door, carrying his fellow yeti over his shoulders. He glanced over his shoulder to Phantom.

"We must leave, quickly!" he told the half-ghost.

"Ahhhh!" Danny groaned as he released the scythe, letting it penetrate the brick wall, "Wait! Where are my parents!?"

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Down on the grounds, Jack was pushing against Forgemaster's shield with his hands as Maddie pulled on the Specter Deflector strap as hard as she could, squeezing the ghost's torso.

"AAAAUUGGGGHHHH!" Forgemaster screamed before his body sizzled and he fell face first into the ground.

The shield stopped glowing and crumbled into the small pieces of metal it was before. Maddie removed the Deflector and Jack leaned on his knees to catch his breath.

"Phew," he sighed, "That was tough."

"Well, Jack, you should have watched what you said," Maddie smiled.

"And show weakness!?" Jack exclaimed stoically, "Never."

"Uuuuuggghhh…" the Forgemaster moaned as he slowly picked himself up, causing Jack and Maddie to jump to a fighting stance, "I'm… I'm free?"

"Not for long you won't be," said Maddie.

The Forgemaster turned around and blinked in confusion as Jack and Maddie slowly approached the ghost.

"Heed, humans!" Forgemaster exclaimed calmly, "Please, forgive my previous actions. I was not in my right state of mind."

Jack and Maddie exchanged glances.

"And why should we believe you?" Jack asked in suspicion.

"Because if we don't, the others will suffer a tragic fate," the ghost explained, "Wait… where are the humans? And the… half-ghosts!?"

"They went up to your forge and-"

The Forgemaster's eyes widened as he shot past Jack and Maddie and entered the tower. The ghost hunters ran after him, ordering him to come back and stay away from the kids.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Reaper gripped his scythe in both hands and ripped it away from the wall.

"Hurry!" Frostbite exclaimed, "We must leave!"

Reaper glanced over to the doorway and raised a purple glowing hand.

"I don't think so," he hissed as his hand began to glow brighter.

Danny quickly flew over to Sam as Specter blinked behind Tucker. The two halfas gave each other a quick glance and nodded.

"We're not scared of you!" Sam exclaimed, "We'll take you down right now!"

A white glove grabbed Sam's shoulder, causing her to pause.

"Sorry, Sam," Phantom sighed.

As Frostbite began descending the stairs, he heard Sam and Tucker exclaim in surprise, causing him to turn around. He watched as the two teenagers tossed away and landed on the steps.

"Danny! Logan!" Sam exclaimed as she and Tucker scrambled back to their feet and ran for the room.

The last thing the three saw before the door slammed shut was Phantom and Specter giving them a soft smile.

***BAM***

As soon as the door was shut, a red aura appeared in front of it. Tucker and Sam ran up to his and reached for the knocker, but they couldn't reach it.

"Great One!" Frostbite exclaimed.

Phantom and Specter sighed.

"Oh, this is _priceless_," Reaper laughed, "You two are trying to save your friends? And what? Become martyrs?"

Phantom raised his glowing blue fists while Specter started spinning the chain in his right hand, both glaring at the ghost. Reaper scoffed as he reached inside his cloak and revealed the Orb of Knowledge.

"I don't know how you got that," Specter said darkly, "but there is no way in hell I'm letting you get away with that."

"And what makes you think you two have a chance against _me_?" Reaper challenged.

Specter reached behind and pulled out the Orb of Strength.

"What?" Reaper asked in disbelief, "How did you get that!? I gave it to the Forgemaster!"

"Oh, you did," Phantom smirked.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

_Out of the corner of his eye, Trevor saw Forgemaster enter the room with Danny over his shoulder. Reaper glanced over and noticed as well._

"_Ah, you've captured Phantom!" he exclaimed, "Excellent work."_

_Forgemaster floated past Reaper as he handed the Orb of Strength to him. The Forgemaster stored it away, but was unaware that Danny was feigning unconsciousness. Danny reached down and grabbed the Orb of Strength before being dropped next to Trevor. He quickly hid it away before anyone noticed._

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

"_Trevor?" Danny asked before he glanced over his shoulder and shook Trevor, "Hey, Trevor! You awake?"_

_Trevor didn't reply. Sam grabbed his shoulders and tried waking him herself._

"_Trevor! Wake up!" she exclaimed._

_Danny managed to shift his arm enough for him to reach for the Orb of Strength and slide it into Trevor's hand, which were both behind his back. Danny felt Trevor's fingers close around the Orb and acknowledged the signal._

"_It's no use, Sam," Danny sighed, "He's completely out."_

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Reaper glared at the two heroes, seething through his teeth. His grip on the Orb of Knowledge was so strong that any stronger it would shatter it. But then, he started chuckling. Phantom and Specter both raised an eyebrow as the chuckling turned into maniacal laughter.

"What's so funny, chuckles?" Danny asked.

"_This _is your great plan?" Reaper laughed, "To take me on? And steal back the Orb of Knowledge?"

"It is now," Specter muttered, "So how's this gonna go down, Reaper?"

Reaper stared directly into Specter's eyes as he took the Orb and shoved it into his chest. He groaned in pain as the Orb remained in place and began to spread purple wisps along his body.

"Think we have a chance against him?" Phantom asked without any fear in his voice.

"It might be next to impossible," Specter replied as he put the Orb of Strength away.

"I'll take those odds," Danny smirked.

Reaper raised his scythe and slammed it into the ground. A giant red rune appeared under Phantom and Specter and a bright orange glow began to shine.

"Get above me!" Danny ordered as he floated an inch off the ground and fired a continuous large beam of ice from his hands.

Specter blinked over his head and threw the chain towards Reaper. The ghost glanced up and smirked before a small red ecto-energy constructed wall appeared in front of him. As soon as the chain touched it, the barrier vanished and hit Reaper in the face. Steam began to form around Phantom and Specter as the older halfa continued to fire his icy ghost ray at the ground.

"AAAAHHHH!" Reaper screamed as the chain retracted back to Specter.

The halfa blinked away towards Reaper and threw the chain from the side. Reaper glanced over and swung his scythe at it. The chain wrapped around one of the blades and Reaper yanked the chain out of Specter's hand, tearing away his glove and skin.

"Grrrrggghh…" Specter groaned in pain as he grabbed his ectoplasm covered wrist.

Danny looked up and saw Reaper removing the chain and dashing towards Specter.

"NO!" he exclaimed and flew forward.

Glancing at the wall, Danny telekinetically pulled a small square shield off the wall toward him. As Reaper swung toward Specter, Phantom caught the shield and floated in front of Specter, blocking the attack.

"Thanks for the save," said Specter as he noticed the shield, "In the mood to play catch?"

Phantom glanced over his shoulder and nodded. Specter peaked around Danny and Reaper and telekinetically summoned another shield from the wall, pulling it towards Reaper's head.

***CLANG***

The shield hit Reaper and Danny caught it in his other hand as he tossed the other one underneath the ghost. Specter then flew above Reaper and telekinetically pulled that one back towards him, hitting Reaper in the back. As Reaper was pushed forward from the force, Phantom charged him and punched him in the face. Behind the door, Tucker and Sam were frantically pounding on the magic barrier.

"Danny! Specter!" Tucker shouted.

"Humans!"

Tucker, Sam, and Frostbite turned around and watched the Forgemaster approach them.

"Stand aside," he ordered, "I'll bring this barrier down _myself_."

"And let you help Reaper!?" Sam exclaimed.

"That's not gonna happen!" Tucker added.

"Kids!" Jack exclaimed as he and Maddie made it to the top, out of breath, "Let… let him help."

"Reaper… controlled him," Maddie gasped.

Tucker and Sam blinked a couple of times and turned the Forgemaster.

"Do it!" they said.

The Forgemaster walked up to the door and raised his hammer. Yellow ecto-energy radiated from the head and he slammed it into the barrier, causing a couple of cracks to appear. He raised the hammer and slammed it against the barrier again. More cracks appeared. Reaper ducked below another shield being throw at him and slashed his scythe towards Phantom, who quickly split his body across his midsection, allowing the green blade to avoid making any contact with him.Specter blinked above Reaper and kicked him on top of the head with both feet. As Reaper groaned and reached for his head, Phantom flew up and punched him in the face, sending him across the room and slamming into the wall. The impact caused a long kite shield to come off the wall and hit Reaper in the head.

"It's over, Reaper," said Phantom, "You're not getting away this time."

Reaper glared at Phantom with burning red and purple eyes. Without moving an inch, Reaper telekinetically picked up the chain behind the heroes and flung it towards them. Phantom heard the chains and quickly glanced behind him. Without warning, he shoved Specter out of the way and got completely wrapped in the restraints.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" Phantom screamed as the ecto-ranium surged his body with pain.

"Phantom!" Specter shouted and blinked behind Reaper.

***WUMP***

With lightning fast reflexes, Reaper spun around and socked Specter in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. As Specter fell to his knees and groaned, Reaper leaned down towards him.

"You should have listened to Forgemaster's warning, Specter," he smirked, "You've failed… and now you will watch as I end the life of _Danny Phantom_."

Reaper rose back up and turned towards Phantom as he continued to scream in pain. The Forgemaster continued pounding away at the crumbling barrier as the screaming continued.

"Danny!" Maddie exclaimed, "Please! Hurry!"

An evil and cruel smile appeared on Reapers face as he slowly approached Phantom. Specter slowly raised his head and glared angrily at Reaper.

"I… won't… fail…" he moaned as he reached over and grabbed the kite shield in his bleeding right hand.

With a final blow, the Forgemaster's hammer shattered the barrier and he shoved the door open. Tucker, Sam, Jack, Maddie, and Frostbite all rushed inside behind him, just in time to watch Reaper swing his scythe towards Danny's neck.

"_**NO!**_" they all exclaimed.

***CLANG***

Reaper's blade was parried away before reaching Danny's skin thanks to Specter blinking over and blocking it with the shield. The ghost's eyes widened when he realized Specter's glowing yellow eyes. With his right arm in position from the counter, Specter channeled the power of the Orb in his left hand again and the shield began to glow yellow.

"_You _will fail," said Specter and he launched his fist into Reaper's face.

***THOOM***

The impact was so strong that it not only created a shockwave, but sent Reaper crashing through the stone wall and spiraling away into the distance. No longer under Reaper's control, the chains loosened around Phantom's body and fell to the ground. Phantom and Specter did the same and they reverted back to their human forms as the younger halfa dropped the shield.

"Danny!" Sam exclaimed, rushing over and helping him to his feet, "You okay?"

"Yeah… I'm fine," he replied.

"Good," said Sam before she grabbed him by the collar and pulled him close to her face, "Because _I'm _gonna _**KILL YOU!**_"

"Whoa, Sam, calm down!" Danny exclaimed.

"You and Trevor just chucked us away like we were a couple of sacks of meat," said Tucker, who crossed his arms.

"We were just keeping you safe!" Danny argued.

"Danny, look at me!" Sam said sternly, forcing Danny's head to face hers, "We are a _team_. We don't care about the risks; we care about _everyone_. We're not doing this just for _us_."

"But this is _different_!" said Danny, "It's _Reaper_. I just… ***Sigh* **It was just a spur of the moment decision I made. I couldn't risk something happening to you or Tucker with Reaper having an Orb of Power. Sorry."

"My apologies as well, Tucker," said Trevor as he continued catching his breath on the ground.

Sam smiled and gave Danny a quick kiss.

"You and your hero complex," she chuckled.

"Great One," said Frostbite as he, Jack, and Maddie approached him, "Are you hurt?"

"Nah, I'm fine," Danny smiled, until he glanced over at Trevor and saw the blood and ectoplasm that covered his lower right arm and hand, "But he's not."

"The Orb!" the Forgemaster exclaimed, "Where is it!?"

"Over… here," Trevor sighed as he slowly got back to his feet.

Forgemaster flew over to where the Orb of Knowledge was and picked it up.

"Thank goodness," he sighed in relief, "I was worried he'd make off with one of the originals."

Trevor's eyes widened and he slowly glanced over to the Forgemaster.

"_Originals_?" he asked, "What are you talking about?"

"It took me many attempts to create the Orbs of Power," the ghost explained, "Each one had to be perfectly crafted, or else their magics would be unstable."

"How many are left!?" Trevor explained.

"Trevor, calm down," said Maddie, "We need to tend to your hand."

Maddie reached for his hand, but Trevor moved away and approached Forgemaster.

"How many!?"

"This is the last one," the Forgemaster sighed.

"… Good," Trevor replied and telekinetically summoned the Orb to his left hand, "Makes things a lot easier."

He promptly threw it to the ground and shattered it.

"Human," the Forgemaster sighed as he turned around to face Trevor, "that may not have been a wise-"

He stopped midsentence as soon as he saw Trevor.

"Your highness!?" he exclaimed.

Trevor gave the Forgemaster a hard look.

"What the fu- Do I look like Pariah Dark or Aragon to you!?" he asked exasperatedly.

The Forgemaster rubbed his chin.

"Curious… you look just like him."

"Whatever," Trevor said, rolling his eyes, "Let's start this all over again; where are the remaining Orbs of Power, Forgemaster?"

"… I don't know," Forgemaster replied.

"Someone kill me, please?" Trevor asked, "Just… just end my God forsaken life."

"So, this was all for nothing?" Jack asked.

"No, not nothing," said Tucker, "We freed the Forgemaster and stopped Reaper."

"For now," said Danny.

"You must beDanny Phantom, correct?" Forgemaster asked as he approached Danny.

"Uh, yes…"

"The same Danny Phantom who defeated Pariah Dark?"

"Yes?" Danny replied, raising an eyebrow.

"Then I, Forgemaster, hereby solemnly swear to forever be your ally, until my time to leave this world arrives," the Forgemaster announced as he got to his knee.

"Hey, looks like you got another follower, Danny," Tucker smirked.

"Uh, thanks," Danny replied to Forgemaster, slightly embarrassed, "Is there anything you can tell us that could help us find the Orbs of Power?"

"I'm afraid not, Phantom," Forgemaster sighed, "But… there is one thing I'd like to give you."

The Forgemaster telekinetically lifted the shield Trevor dropped and the ecto-ranium chain and flew over to his forge.

"This will only take a moment," he said as he sat down on the stool and the furnace fire came to life.

Everyone watched as the ghost hammered various pieces of hot metal and ecto-ranium on the shield. After a couple minutes, the Forgemaster telekinetically placed the hot shield into a large barrel of water, boiling it and cooling the shield.

"It is finished," he announced as he lifted it from the water.

The Forgemaster turned to Danny and levitated the shield towards him.

"For you," the ghost explained, "I call it the Ethereal Shield. Consider it a gift for my mistakes."

"All's forgiven," Danny smiled as the grabbed the long kite shield, "But, uh… what do I do with this?"

"Use it in battle, or keep it as a trophy, it matters not to me," said the Forgemaster, "Consider it an olive branch for future endeavors."

Danny nodded and tried holding it in his right hand.

"Um, it's a bit small," he pointed out.

A blue aura surrounded the shield and it darted away, right into Trevor's left hand.

"Hmm…" Trevor muttered as he examined the shield in his hand.

"Something wrong?" Danny asked.

"This feels… familiar… somehow…" said Trevor, "Never mind, I think I can use this against Reaper; it's a perfect fit. I'll return it to you after he's been captured, Danny."

"I'll hold you to it," Danny smirked.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

A few minutes later, everyone was outside the drawbridge, preparing to leave. Danny, Tucker, and Sam were talking to Frostbite and his villagers while Jack and Maddie were getting the Specter Speeder ready and Trevor was talking to the Forgemaster.

"Thanks again for your help, Frostbite," said Danny.

"It was my honor, Great One," Frostbite replied, giving a small bow, "I only wish we had captured that vile fiend before he escaped."

"Don't worry about it," said Tucker, "We'll get him."

Tucker reached back and pulled out the Infi-map.

"Here, Frostbite, I believe this belongs with you."

"Ah, yes!" the yeti ghost exclaimed as the took the map from Tucker, "Thank you for returning it. I'll be sure my people and I keep it safe."

"I don't doubt that," Danny smiled.

"Hey, kids!" Jack exclaimed, getting everyone's attention, "Ready to leave!?"

"Yeah, we'll be right there, dad!" Danny replied before turning back to Frostbite and held out his hand, "Thanks again, Frostbite."

"And thank _you_, Danny Phantom," Frostbite replied, shaking Danny's hand, "for keeping us all safe."

"I do my best," Danny chuckled, "Come on, let's get going."

Danny went ghost as Tucker and Sam approached the Speeder.

"Hold on, Sam," said Danny, "There's only room for three in the Speeder."

"You've got something else in mind for me?" Sam smirked.

"Maybe…" Phantom smirked back.

Trevor approached them as a blue ring appeared around his waist.

"Ready?" he asked them.

"One sec," said Danny.

Phantom stepped next to Sam and swooped her off her feet, carrying her bridal style.

"Okay, _now _we're ready," Sam smiled.

Phantom took off first, followed by Specter, and finally the Speeder. Frostbite turned to the Forgemaster and the two nodded to each other before Frostbite led his fellow yeti ghosts back to the Far Frozen.

"Take care of that shield, Specter," Forgemaster said quietly, "It is capable of so much more."

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Somewhere far into the Ghost Zone, Reaper pulled himself out of a crater that his body made when he impacted a small desolate graveyard. A smile was upon his face.

"Well, well, well… even _Specter _couldn't resist the taste of power within the Orb. ***Sigh* **Shame I lost the prototype. Oh, well. I still have something _special_ for Specter. I wonder how he'll like the gift I left him."

Reaper floated up in the air and his hand began to glow purple.

"And with the last prototype destroyed, there's no way any of them will know the _permanent_ effects they provide."

He held out his hand and a ghost portal appeared in front of him. A dark laugh escaped his mouth as he flew through the portal and it closed once he was through.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

"I gotta admit, Phantom," said Specter as the two flew side-by-side, "I had my doubts about your plan."

"I'm just lucky I was able to get your attention on the Fenton Phone before you charged in like a lone wolf," Phantom replied.

"A lone wolf with no plan," Sam added before she pulled out a Fenton Phone, "Speaking of which…"

Specter flew over and grabbed his Fenton Phone from Sam.

"Thanks," he said as he put it on, "So, Maddie, you said you had an idea to find the other Orbs of Power?"

"_Oh, thank you for reminding me," _she replied through the Speeder's external speaker, _"I think we can find the other Orbs if you let me scan the one you have and we isolate it's energy signature."_

At this point, they arrived at the Fenton Ghost Portal and they entered the Fenton Works' Lab. Danny put Sam down as he and Specter changed back to human and Jack landed the Specter Speeder.

"Hey, what's that?" Tucker asked, pointing to the middle of the lab.

Everyone turned and saw a strange metallic looking box on the ground.

"Uh oh," Trevor muttered, "Dust? Where are you?"

The box rumbled a couple of times. Trevor ran over and placed his injured hand on the scanner, opening the top.

"Well, it's about time!" Dust exclaimed as she hopped out of the crate.

Trevor reached inside and rummaged through the contents.

"What happed!?" Danny exclaimed.

"Reaper happened," Dust muttered, "He snuck in here and knocked me out. Next thing I knew, I was inside this thing. I was screaming for help, but no one was here. I tried contacting you."

"I haven't heard anything from you telepathically, Dust," Trevor replied.

"We just got back," said Sam, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Dust sighed, "Did you guys-"

"Oh, my God…"

Everyone turned to Trevor, whose eyes were wide and filled with horror. He slowly pulled out a piece of paper with writing that was written in blood.

"And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind…" Trevor read.

"Is that a poem?" Jack asked.

"Christian Bible, Revelations 9:15," Trevor replied in a worried voice, "The final book of the New Testament, Apocalypse. He knows."

"Knows what?" Sam asked.

"Forgemaster warned me that the Orbs were created not for the purpose to save man, but to protect Earth and the Ghost Zone from… something," Trevor explained, "I don't know what, he wouldn't tell me, but he told me that even with all the Orbs of Power, the ghosts were barely able to contain them and lock them away."

"Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa, hold on!" Danny exclaimed, shaking his hands in front of him, "What are you talking about?"

Trevor took a deep breath to relax.

"The Orbs of Power are not just conduits for power," he explained, "They are magical relics that are providing power to locks that are holding back creatures that will surely bring the end of the world."

"Meaning?" Tucker asked.

"Well… I destroyed three Orbs already, so kiss those locks goodbye… and if Reaper gets his hands on just one Orb of Power…"

"So, we're screwed," said Sam.

"Unless we capture Reaper and the Orbs manage to repair themselves in time," said Trevor before he pulled something from the box, "And assuming I don't decide to blow Reaper's head off."

Everyone's eyes widened from that comment.

"Umm… why's that?" Danny asked.

Trevor stood up and showed everyone the blood covered dog tags.

"These are my brother's," he said, "And I have no clue how, or even if we are going to find him."

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

The next day, Danny, Tucker, Sam, and Trevor were eating lunch at the Fenton Works in the kitchen. Trevor's right hand and wrist were covered in bandages for his injury.

"And Reaper didn't take anything from your chest?" Tucker asked Trevor.

"No… which makes no sense," Trevor replied, "I had the Orb fragments hidden away inside; why didn't Reaper take them?"

Green ecto-energy erupted from Trevor's chest and Dust appeared on the table.

"Maybe it has something to do with that quote you read yesterday," Dust suggested.

"I hope- no I _pray _it's not," Trevor replied, "If what Forgemaster said is true and Reaper is actually trying to bring ghosts with apocalyptic powers back… we're _fucked_."

"Where are the shards now?" Danny asked.

"I hid them away in various locations," Trevor replied, "Don't worry, I'm the only one who would ever know where to find them."

"How can you be so sure?" Danny asked.

"Because it's the last place even I would ever look for the shards," Trevor replied.

"Let me guess…" Tucker smirked, "they're at Sam's place, under your mattress."

"Nope."

"Are you absolutely _certain_ that Reaper won't be able to find them?" Sam asked.

"No," Trevor replied, "but it's the best we're gonna get. How's the device coming along?"

"My parents are still working on it," said Danny, "Hopefully it'll be done soon."

"And that it works," Tucker added.

Sam glanced over and noticed that Trevor was staring at something in his hands. Trevor glanced over and saw her looking. With a sigh, he placed the object on the table.

"What's this?" Danny asked.

"Family photo," Trevor replied.

"Looks old," said Sam.

"It's more than four years old, yeah," Trevor replied as he took a sip from his water bottle.

"Is that your brother?" Tucker asked, pointing at the older boy in the photo, "He looks a lot like you."

"He sure does," Trevor replied before pointing to two others in the photo, "That's my mother and my older sister, Alexis. Yeah, surprise, surprise… Sam's not my mother."

His mother appeared to be a tall slender woman with dark green irises and his sister was a spitting image of their mother, only with much shorter hair.

"Where's your dad?" Sam asked.

"Well, as I said before, it's not Danny. Regardless… don't know, don't care," Trevor replied, "It's… complicated. I'd rather not say anything and give the wrong impressions about my family."

"That's fine," said Danny before he raised an eyebrow.

Trevor's hand was covering up part of the photo next to a younger Trevor, but Danny could see that someone else was in the photo.

"Who's that?" Danny asked, trying to shift Trevor's hand to the side.

The younger halfa grabbed the photo and put it away in his pocket.

"There's no one else in that photo," he said calmly.

Danny gave him side-eye but didn't push the subject.

"Feeling homesick?" Tucker asked.

"Not the word I'd use, but something like that," Trevor replied.

"Aw, don't worry, Trevor," said Sam as she playfully ruffled Trevor's hair a little, "I'm sure you'll see your family again soon."

"… I'd like to think so," Trevor sighed.

"Come on," said Danny as he got up from his seat, "We should train some more."

"You sure?" Trevor asked, raising an eyebrow, "We took quite a beating yesterday, I don't want to push you too hard."

"We weren't expecting Reaper to have an Orb of Power," Danny explained, "Better to be safe and assume he has an Orb. Even if he doesn't, if we're capable of defeating him when he has an Orb, we guaranteed to beat him when he doesn't have one."

Trevor wasn't convinced.

"Plus, I'm fine," Danny added, "Just a bit sore, but nothing I can't handle."

"Alright… if you say so," Trevor replied, "I might as well try out the Ethereal Shield. I'll meet you down in the lab."

"Actually, we were thinking heading to the Far Frozen," said Sam.

"I'm sorry, _'we'_?" Trevor asked.

"Yeah, 'we'," Tucker replied, "We're _all _gonna train."

Trevor turned to Dust, who just shrugged her wings.

"Well, I guess I'm gonna have that talk with Frostbite sooner than I thought," said Trevor, causing the others the laugh.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

**{Notes}**

*** Reference to Episode 54: "Hunting Time" from my Season 3 fic.**

**** Reference to Episode 60: "All Actions Have Consequences" Part 2 from my Season 3 fic.**

***** Reference to Episode 57: "The Timeless Struggle" from my Season 3 fic.**

****** Although it was never officially named, I'll refer to this weapon as the Fenton Lipstick Blaster, which was seen in the episode "Doctor's Disorders".**

**^ This is a form of spectral body manipulation, as seen in the episode "Pirate Radio". **

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

**Fun Fact: I alternate Forgemaster's moniker between Forgemaster and The Forgemaster. I didn't intentionally do this at first, but upon reviewing the document, I decided to go along with it. Much like how Batman is called either Batman or The Batman.**

**Fun Fact: The Ethereal Shield takes on a very similar appears to the Vile Shield from Infinity Blade 2 and 3, only it's completely black in color with some traces of green.**

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

**Just for fun, I decided to try something different and just write the entire episode without making a summary first. I'm not sure how I feel about it, given that summaries make it easier to keep track of changes and story points. I might stick with them for the time being.**

**Like, follow, and please review! Until next time!**

**~ThePhantomHedgehog**

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**


	4. Episode 64: Federal Raid

**Welcome back, phans!**

**As of 2/2/2020, my Danny Phantom: Season 3 fanfic has reached 3k views! Thank you so much for reading my stories! You guys are amazing. And for that, this will be an extra-long episode! Over 17k words. Not quite as long as my Season 3 finale, but longer than usual.**

**Alright, now that all that mushy stuff is out of the way… I think you guys will like this episode. I've been waiting for a while to write this and now it's done! Won't spoil anything, but you will have not one, but **_**two **_**characters returning this episode!**

**Also, there is a reason why this episode is much longer than usual. You'll find out in A/N after the episode. But that's for later, let's get started! Also, Happy (Late) Valentine's Day. And, no, this isn't a Valentine's Day episode. Sorry. Maybe in Season 5… *Smirk***

**Ver. 1.0.0 (2/16/20)**

**Standard Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom. And if anyone tries to complain about copyright, I will find you, I will break both of your arms, then shatter both of your legs, and leave you bleeding in the moonlight. *Creepy evil smile* Alright, let's begin… The point being this is a FANFIC; we don't own anything but our own characters and story plots.**

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

It was a bright afternoon in the countryside as a white armored van sped down the empty road. Inside, GiW Operatives O, who was driving, K, who was in the passenger seat, L, and M, who were both seated right behind the other two, were reporting to their superiors via earpiece.

"_I presume you have completed your assignment?" _

"Affirmative," Operative O replied, "We have captured the target and are proceeding to rendezvous at checkpoint sigma-two."

"Target has been successfully contained in vehicle storage," Operative K reported, "Recommend additional support during transition to high-security vault."

"_Acknowledged," _Operative Alpha replied, _"Support will be on standby upon arrival. I expect a full report within the week."_

"Understood," the Operatives stated before transmission ended.

"This would have been so much easier if this sector's HQ was being renovated right now," Operative M noted.

"Agreed," said Operative O, "But we have our orders."

A few moments later, the van began to shake violently, rocking left and right.

"Take control of the vehicle!" Operative M exclaimed.

"I'm trying!" Operative O responded, "Somethings causing the vehicle to veer off course!"

"Are you certain that the target was secured properly?" Operative L asked Operative K.

"Completely!" Operative K exclaimed, "The target was sedated and secured with the strongest restraints we had on hand!"

The vehicle rocked again, even harder, and wouldn't stop.

***WHAM***

"What was that!?" Operative O exclaimed.

"Stop the van!" Operative L shouted, "The storage doors have been opened!"

The van screeched to a halt and the Operatives exited the vehicle. They checked the rear of the vehicle and found the doors wide open, with nothing inside.

"You were in charge of securing the target," Operative M said to Operative K, "This will be going into my report."

"Mine as well," said Operative O.

"That may not be necessary," said Operative L, who was looking at his tablet, "The tracker is still attached to the target. We will follow and recover it."

"Where is the target going?" Operative K asked.

"North, northwest," Operative L replied.

The four operatives glanced over in that general direction and saw a welcome sign.

"Will this complicate the mission?" Operative M asked.

"Of course not," Operative O answered, "If any of you have any objections, you can get your own transport back to HQ."

No one replied.

"Then it's settled," said Operative O.

The four operatives got back into the van and drove past the sign, which read "Amity Park: Living the Big Life".

***Cue Intro***

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

**Danny Phantom in: Federal Raid (Episode 64)**

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

People were screaming and running through the streets of Amity Park as the Behemoth*** **stomped its way around. Danny Phantom and Logan Specter flew up and fired a barraged of cryokinetic and electrokinetic ghost rays at the giant ghost, but the Behemoth blocked them with its four muscular arms.

"Jeez, not even a scratch!?" Phantom exclaimed as he and Specter stopped attacking.

"Whoever let this one out of the Ghost Zone is going to have a _very _bad time when I find them," Specter growled.

The Behemoth lowered its arms and glared at the two heroes before unleashed its purple and blue fire breath.

"Whoa!" Phantom exclaimed before he created a ghost shield around himself and Specter.

"We're running out of options here, Mrs. Fenton," Specter said into his Fenton Phone, "Can you and your husband pick up the pace!?"

"_We're almost there, boys!" _Maddie exclaimed, _"Just give us a couple more minutes!"_

The Behemoth stopped attacking slammed its fists into the ground.

"We don't even have a minute!" Phantom exclaimed as the shield disappeared.

The Behemoth ripped two large chunks of earth from the ground and threw them at the civilians. Phantom flew down a pair of male adults that had tripped and Specter blinked over to a young girl who was sitting on the ground crying. Danny grabbed the two civilians and flew them to safety as the projectile crashed into the sidewalk and the building wall. Specter put a hand on the child's shoulder and turned himself and the girl intangible. The second chunk of earth crashed into the sidewalk where they were standing. A couple seconds later, Specter led the girl out of the boulder and they became tangible again. As soon as the girl saw her mother nearby, Specter let her run off and he blinked next to Phantom.

"Alright, _now _I'm mad," Specter hissed as his eyes burned a cerulean blue.

The two half-ghosts glared at the Behemoth as it released a mighty roar.

***ROOOOOOOOOAAAAAAARRR***

Suddenly, a strange blue resin spread up the Behemoth's body and began to harden, trapping the ghost in ice.

"Huh?" Phantom and Specter exclaimed.

They glanced behind the frozen ghost and saw Jack and Maddie standing in front of the Fenton RV, holding the Fenton Ecto-Energy Collector and the Fenton Ghost Chiller, respectively.

"Nice shot, Maddie," Jack complimented as he aimed the Collector at the ghost, "Now to make things easier."

Jack pulled the trigger and the grapple claw shot through the air and grabbed onto the Behemoth's ankle. Once it was secured, green ecto-energy began to travel along the wire and into the weapon.

"The Behemoth's losing energy!" Specter exclaimed, "Now's our chance to catch it!"

Phantom pulled out his Fenton Thermos and fired it at the Behemoth. The beam pulled the ghost inside and Phantom put the cap on top.

"Excellent work, boys!" Maddie exclaimed as the two floated over to her and Jack.

"Thanks for the help," said Phantom, "I don't think we would have been able to fight it off on our own."

"Oh, don't mention it," said Jack.

"Sweetie, I know this was important, but don't you still have class?" Maddie asked, "It's almost one o'clock."

"What!?" Phantom exclaimed as his eyes widened, "Shoot, I'm going to be late!"

He tossed the Fenton Thermos to Maddie and darted away.

"Send that thing back to the ghost zone, love you, bye!" Phantom shouted over his shoulder as he hurried back to school.

Barely a few seconds had past before Danny noticed an armored white van speeding through the streets down below. His eyebrows furrowed as he placed a finger on the Fenton Phone.

"Hey, Specter?" he said, "White armored van is speeding around town."

"_Guys in White?"_

"Yeah. Mind keeping an eye on them for me?"

"_Sure, no problem. I'll make sure they don't cause any trouble."_

Phantom focused on his destination and flew off into the distance as dark clouds began to cover the sky.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

A few miles away, in another part of town, a black and white figure streaked in an alley, where a white light briefly followed.

"Finally," Danielle sighed as she stepped out of the alley, "Made it back to Amity Park."

***Grrrrrr***

"And hungry," she moaned, rubbing her stomach.

Since her last visit to Amity Park, Danielle had not been doing well. She had noticeably lost weight, her clothes were filthy and started having holes in them, and her hair was a mess with knots and dirt. As she started walking down the street, lightning cracked across the sky and rain started pouring down. People began opening umbrellas or use their suitcases and newspapers to shield them from the rain. Unfortunately for Danielle, she didn't have anything.

"Of course," she deadpanned.

She glanced over to her left and noticed the ice cream parlor in front of her.

"Well… it's not the best thing to have in this weather," she said to herself before her stomach started growling again and a mischievous smile grew on her face, "buuuuut~, beggars can't be choosers."

She pushed the door open and stepped inside the pink and white stripped parlor. Aside from the sole employee behind the cash register, Danielle saw no one else there. She walked up to the glass window and perused through all the flavors they had. Her face brightened up when she saw a certain flavor and waked over to the counter.

"Um, excuse me?" she asked the teenager, who was more focused on his smartphone, "Can I try a sample of that chocolate and caramel flavor ice cream?"

The confectioner glanced over at Danielle and scoffed.

"Beat it, kid," he said rudely, "No free ice cream."

"I just want to have a test taste before I buy a cone," said Danielle.

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a $5 bill.

"No, samples," said the worker before turning back to his smartphone, "Make your choice or get out."

"Hmph," Danielle muttered, crossing her arms, "You treat all your customers like this?"

The worker didn't reply as she glanced to the menu hanging on the wall.

"Look!" she pointed out, "It even says 'free samples'!"

"Yeah, sorry, we don't do those anymore," the worker replied, "Now, if you're done wasting my time, either buy something or get lost."

"But-"

"_Didn't you hear me!?_" the confectioner snapped, "Buy something or get out! We don't need some homeless kid begging for free food!"

Danielle was taken aback by that remark, causing her to take a step back just as her stomach started growling again.

"Come on!" she exclaimed, "Can't I have just one sample?"

"Jeez, kid, how stupid are you? Were you born in a barn or something?" the teen asked rudely, "Why don't you get out of here and go back to whatever cardboard box you live in."

Behind the double acting doors to the side, a woman dressed in a mint-green blouse and a black skirt walked by and began to overhear the conversation on the other side.

"I just want a sample!" Danielle exclaimed, "Why can't you just let me have it?"

"Why?" the confectioner asked, "You expect me to believe you'll just ask for one!? Have your parents ever taught you how to treat your elders?"

That comment made Danielle's face fall and she looked down at the ground.

"Oh, wait, you wouldn't know that, would you? Judging by the smell, your parents are probably a couple of deadbeats."

Danielle glanced up and saw a very unhappy woman standing behind the confectioner, arms crossed and glaring daggers into the back of his head.

"Seriously, kid, get out of here. You're causing nothing but trouble!" the worker said loudly.

"Ahem!"

The confectioner's whole body froze and his eyes widened.

"Mr. Franklin…" the woman said in a threatening tone, "Wait for me in the backroom. I'll deal with you in just a moment."

Franklin spun around and held out his arms.

"But- but Mrs. Stone, I-"

"I'm telling you, as your manager, to get in the backroom. _Right. Now._"

"***Sigh* **Yes, ma'am."

As Franklin moped away, Stone turned her attention to Danielle.

"My apologies, sweetie," said the manager, "Are you okay?"

Danielle wiped her eyes and nodded.

"Now, let's get that sample you wanted," Stone smiled, lifting Danielle's spirits.

Not far down the street, the GiW van sped down the street, closing in on their target.

"Target has returned on scans," Operative L reported before the scanner began beeping, "Wait! There's a second energy signature!"

"Is it Phantom?" Operative O asked.

"Negative," Operative L answered, "The energy signature is similar to Phantom's, but it's definitely not his."

"Two ghosts instead of one?" said Operative K, "Sounds like a promotion to me."

"Indeed," said Operative O, "Where's this second target?"

"Right next to primary target," Operative L answered, "If we hurry, the primary target won't escape again."

Operative O stepped on the gas and floored it down the street.

"Thank you very much!" Danielle called out to the manager as she stepped outside.

She popped the last of the ice cream cone into her mouth and munched it down. She had chocolate and caramel around her mouth, which she tried licking off. The rain had now become a complete downpour, completely drenching her. As she began walking back towards the alley, the sound of tires screeching got her attention. She looked over in time to see the GiW van zoom past her. Unfortunately, there was a huge puddle right in front of her and the van soaked her in dirty water.

"Hey!" she shouted, "Watch where you're going, pal!"

The van disappeared around the corner, leaving Danielle alone to look at herself.

"Great," she muttered, "Better get to the Fenton Works and hit the shower."

She approached the alley and entered it. She barely took two steps in before she gasped and a blue mist escaped her lips. She glanced down the alley and saw a strange green glow coming from around the alley corner. A white ring appeared around her waist and she turned into Dani Phantom. Although it was dark due to the storm, Dani's natural light was enough to illuminate part of the alley. She floated over to the corner and peaked around it.

"Huh?"

At the end of the alley, Dani saw a large man-wolf looking ghost in green clothes. It appeared to be laying on his stomach and gnawing away at a strange device that was attached to his left ankle. Behind the ghost appeared to be a strange portal that was torn out of thin air. Dani slowly approached the ghost, wondering what it was doing.

"Um, hello?" she asked.

The ghost glanced up and looked at Dani.

"Amiko?" Wulf asked before lunging toward her, "Amiko!"

**(Friend? Friend!)**

Dani shrieked as Wulf landed on her and began licking her face, which removed the remaining ice cream from her mouth.

"Huh?" Wulf muttered as he stopped midlick.

He looked down and realized that it wasn't the Phantom he knew.

"Kiu vi estas?" Wulf asked as he stood up and let Dani get back up.

**(Who are you?)**

"Ewww…" she moaned, wiping her face, "What was that for?"

"Mi kvankam vi estis Phantom," Wulf replied.

**(I thought you were Phantom.)**

"What?" Dani asked, raising an eyebrow, "I don't understand what you are saying."

"Phantom," said Wulf, "Friend."

"Phantom? Friend?" Dani asked, "You mean Danny?"

Wulf smiled and nodded.

"You know him?"

"Jes, li liberigis min," Wulf replied.

**(Yes, he freed me.)**

"Um… I don't know what you're saying," said Dani, still confused, "But if you're a friend of Danny's, I'll take you to him."

Dani floated of the ground and began flying off.

"Follow me!" she called back and Wulf did.

As Dani and Wulf flew off, they were unaware of the GiW van had turned at an intersection and began tailing them. Within the alley, a familiar eyepatch wearing purple ghost watched them fly off as well before turning away and walked through the portal. The tear blinked closed behind him.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

At the Fenton Works, Jack and Maddie were in the living room, sitting on the couch with a couple of piles of paperwork on the table.

"Here's the copy of the sorority application you filled out," Maddie said as she held up the document in question.

"_Great!" _Jazz exclaimed on the video call, _"And there's a blank copy with it as well?"_

Maddie flipped through the pages for a moment before showing Jazz the blank form.

"It's right here," Maddie smiled.

Jack began sniveling, which got her attention.

"Jack, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing!" Jack exclaimed, "I'm just so proud of our little Jazzie-pants. ***Sniff* **I miss you so much!"

"_Dad, we talk to each other __**every day**__!" Jazz laughed, "I'll be home in a couple of months for Thanksgiving and then I'll be staying for a few weeks for the holidays."_

"Curse you, time," Jack muttered, "Why must you be so slow?"

"_Oh, mom?" _Jazz asked, _"I have to get going and meet up with my study group. We'll go over my financials and the documents after my midterm, okay?"_

"Financials?" Maddie asked nervously, "Um, sure, we can do that."

"_Great," _Jazz replied, _"Gotta go. Love you both, bye!"_

The screen turned black as soon as the call ended and Maddie began to comb through the documents.

"Jack, have you seen Jazz's financial paperwork anywhere?" Maddie asked, "I don't recall seeing them in this pile."

"I haven't seen them in this pile either," Jack replied as he combed through his pile, "A-ha! Jackpot!"

"Did you find it!?" Maddie exclaimed.

"Nope!" Jack replied, "But I did find the coupons for fudge! Buy three, get one free."

"Jack, this isn't the time to be thinking about fudge!" Maddie snapped as she began to panic, "We need to find those documents or Jazz won't be able to get her financial aid for the next semester!"

A moment later, Trevor walked by with the Fenton Deadshot slung on his back. Maddie glanced over and raised an eyebrow.

"Trevor?" she called out, "What are you doing here? Weren't you following the Guys in White?"

"Uh, yeah, I was… until I lost sight of them," he confessed, "Unlike ghosts, I don't have the ability to see _humans _through solid objects. Lost them when the Box Ghost showed up and distracted me. All it took was a few seconds for me to lose them."

"Why do you have the Deadshot with you?" Jack asked, "I thought it was impossible to repair the last part."

"It was for us," Trevor replied, "Luckily, the Forgemaster was kind enough to do the repairs himself."

"You were in the Ghost Zone?" Maddie asked.

"Um, yeah?" Trevor replied, "Where else would I find Forgemaster. That, and I had to meet with Clockwork and the Observants again."

"How'd it go?" Jack asked.

"Don't know, it's still going on," Trevor replied, "Dust is there in my place since I was advised to leave after a small… _confrontation_."

Jack and Maddie arched an eyebrow.

"I won't say any names… but someone said something about someone else and that someone may or may not have gotten knocked out from a headbutt," Trevor explained.

Maddie shook her head in disapproval.

"I know, I'm shocked too," said Trevor, "Five seconds to trigger me is quite an accomplishment."

Jack and Maddie gave him a look as silence fell upon the room. Maddie then glanced down at Trevor's right hand and wrist, which were still covered in bandages.

"My wrist's fine, Mrs. Fenton," Trevor told her, "So… what were you two freaking out about before I arrived?"

"Oh, nothing!" Maddie exclaimed, "Just thought I lost a document, but I found it. No worries."

"You sure you guys are okay?" Trevor asked, raising an eyebrow, "You appear to be freaking out about something."

"Nope!" Jack exclaimed, "Nothing to worry about! Everything is just fine!"

"Right… anyways, I'll be at Manson's if you need me," said Trevor as he grabbed his jacket and flat cap.

"Do you need an umbrella?" Maddie asked.

"Nah, I'm good," Trevor replied, "Thanks for the offer."

He turned intangible and phased through the door. As soon as Trevor was out of sight, Jack and Maddie scrambled back through the documents.

"Why couldn't she just let us pay for her education?" Maddie wondered out loud.

"Well, even if we can't find the documents, we still have these coupons!" Jack smiled, holding the coupons up.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Not far from Casper High, Danny, Tucker, and Sam were walking through the storm with no protection above them. Their clothes were drenched, and it was so cold that they could see their own breath. ******

"Stupid weatherman," Sam grumbled, "Clear skies all week!?"

"He should be fired for poor work performance," Danny added.

"How is it that _everyone _forgot to bring an umbrella?" Tucker asked, glancing back at a couple of other students who were walking home without protection from the rain.

"You two have any plans for tonight?" Sam asked.

"I was planning on taking you out tonight," Danny sighed, "Looks like that went down the drain."

"Aw, you're sweet, Danny," Sam giggled as she took her hand into his, "What about you, Tucker?"

"Not much, since it's Friday," Tucker replied, "I was thinking of working on my little pet project I've been working on these past few weeks."

"Mind indulging us in what your project is?" Sam asked.

"Just a little something I can use to be more useful in the field than just the guy who hacks into Technus' suit with a PDA," Tucker smiled, "But if you have something else in mind, let's hear it."

"I figured we could have a movie marathon tonight," Sam suggested, "Since it's dark out and not much else for us to do…"

"Sounds great," said Danny.

"I'm down," said Tucker.

Suddenly. Danny gasped and his ghost sense went off, but he paid no attention to it. High above the teens, Dani and Wulf flew across the sky, neither group noticing the other. A few seconds later, the GiW van sped down the street toward Team Phantom. The three teens looked over and saw the van just as it drove over a deep puddle and splashing street water onto them.

"_**HEY!" **_Sam shouted, _**"WATCH IT, IDIOTS!"**_

The three looked down at their clothes and sighed.

"Now we're wet _and _dirty," Tucker moaned, "Can this get any worse?"

***CRicccck KA-DUUUM***

Lightning struck mere feet away from the group, followed by the roar of thunder. The team blinked at the blackened patch of grass a couple of times before Danny and Sam glanced at Tucker. Down the street, the GiW were catching up to Dani and Wulf, who were now in their sights.

"It's not far now," Dani said to Wulf, "Once we're at the Fenton Works, Danny is sure to help you out."

Operative K leaned out the passenger window and aimed a high-tech rocket launcher at them. He looked through the red scope and waited until the weapon had locked on to the targets before firing. A silver missile with a green tip and wings rocketed through the air toward Dani and Wulf.

***BWOOOOM***

Dani and Wulf fell from the sky and crashed into the ground, both tumbling a couple times before Dani stopped on her stomach and Wulf on his back. The van slid to a stop in front of the two as Wulf sat up and shook his head. The Operatives hopped out of their vehicle with weapons in their hands.

"HQ won't be happy when we have to put in a requisition order for new suits and bleach," Operative M groaned as the rain began to hit their suits.

"There's Phantom, shoot him!" Operative K exclaimed.

"Huh?" Dani groaned as she pushed herself up, "What?"

Stinging pain got Dani's attention and she noticed a nasty deep abrasion on the right side of her body that bled ectoplasm. Operatives O and K fired their ecto-assault rifles******* at Dani, who was too stunned to move. Wulf leapt in the way and took the anti-ghost rays into the chest, blasting him aside. He fell to the street and skid along the asphalt a couple feet before he laid unconsciously still.

"Hey!" Dani exclaimed, grabbing her side, "Why are you hurting him!?"

As soon as she got to one knee, a light pink anti-ghost net shot through the air and trapped Dani inside it, keeping her low to the ground. The metal bolas that held her down magnetically pulled each other together, preventing Dani from escaping via intangibility.

"What are you doing!?" she exclaimed, trying to break out, "I didn't do anything wrong!"

"Activating anti-ghost measure 6-3-B-4," Operative L announced as he pushed a large red button on the control panel in his portable case, "Let's see you get out of this, Phantom!"

"_**AAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"**_

The net electrocuted Dani relentlessly as the operatives closed in.

"Operatives K and M, secure the main target," Operative O ordered, "Operative L, don't deactivate the net until Phantom has been neutralized."

Dani continued screaming in pain as her body jerked around inside the cramped net.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

A couple miles away, Danny, Tucker, and Sam were approaching Sam's house as lightning cracked through the dark sky.

"Man, it's barely past 3 and it's already _this _dark?" Tucker asked.

"What's wrong, Tucker?" Danny teased, "Afraid of the dark?"

"Pfft, no!" Tucker exclaimed, "And you should be one to talk! You were afraid of the dark until you were-"

"_**AAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"**_

The teens stopped dead in their tracks when the scream echoed through the air. Danny took a moment to register the scream before he glanced over his shoulder and glared his now neon green eyes into the distance.

"What was that!?" Sam exclaimed.

"I don't know, but it didn't-"

Before Tucker could finish, a white ring appeared around Danny's waist as he leapt up and flew away in a flash.

"Where's he going!?" Tucker exclaimed, "It's probably just some kid scared of the dark!"

"You know Danny," Sam sighed, "Always worried about everyone."

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

A few miles away, Trevor was walking down the street. The dark clouds made it harder for the Deadshot to be noticed by others, much to his relief. Rain dripped off his hat as he glanced down at the ground, lost in his own thoughts.

"_**AAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"**_

"Hm!?" Trevor muttered, "That scream… it sounds like…"

His eyes narrowed and began to glow cerulean blue. A light blue ring appeared around his waist and, with the Deadshot still handing from his back, Specter rocketed toward the source of the screaming.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Dani was still screaming in pain as Operatives K and M tossed an unconscious Wulf into the back of the van. They added more restraints on the ghost to ensure his capture, including an anti-ghost muzzle, chaining his arms and legs to the floor of the van, and metal device strapped to his back that appeared to be draining Wulf of his energy.

"Is the primary target secured?" Operative O asked.

"Affirmative," Operative K answered, "Operative M and I have ensured the target won't be an issue again."

"Good," said Operative O as he held up his ecto-assault rifle, "Now, let's catch the punk. He sure screams like a little girl."

Operatives K and M held up their ecto-assault rifles as well as they followed Operative O back towards Dani. She was no longer screaming, but she continued groaning as the electricity continued to course through her body.

"Phantom's still conscious, huh?" Operative O asked.

"Don't worry," Operative L smirked as he grabbed a small dial on the controller, "I'll just dial it up a few notches."

The scream Dani unleashed as the voltage increased exponentially was loud enough to be heard over the thunder that followed the cracks of lightning.

"_**DAAAAAAAAAANYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!"**_

A black and white blur whizzed over Operatives K, O, and M before it grabbed Operative L by the back on the head and slammed him headfirst into the street.

"What the heck!?" Operative K exclaimed before he and his two colleagues aimed their weapons at the intruder, "Freeze!"

The figure released Operative L's head, leaving the man lying in the street, and slowly rose to his feet. It wasn't until the operatives saw Danny's burning green eyes as thunder boomed and lightning cracked in the sky that they began to shake in fear.

"Wha- Phantom!?" Operative K exclaimed, "But… how!?"

Up in the air, behind Danny, blue electrical sparks and a pair of burning blue eyes, the right eye bursting with flames, approached the ground at high speeds.

"Static…. _SHOCKWAVE!"_

Specter shot to the ground and slammed his electrified right foot into the ground a foot in front of Phantom, creating a shockwave of electricity straight towards the three operatives, shocking them all at once. As the operatives jolted around, Phantom and Specter turned their attention back to the screaming girl.

"Danielle!" they exclaimed, Danny running to her side as Logan blinked over.

"I got this," Logan told Danny, grabbing his arm to stop him from touching the net.

Phantom nodded and Specter grabbed the net with both his hands. He groaned in discomfort as all the electricity went through his body instead of Dani's.

"C… Console…" Dani said hoarsely.

Phantom glanced over at the case that Operative L had dropped and fired a ghost ray at it. As soon as the controller was destroyed, the electrocution stopped, and the bolas were no longer magnetically attracted to each other.

"D-Danny," Dani cried out as Phantom and Specter freed her from the net.

"Shhhh, shhhh, it's okay," Phantom comforted her, pulling her close and hugging her as she began to cry into his chest, "It's okay."

Specter was breathing heavily, rage still burning in him as another bolt of lightning shot across the sky and thunder boomed. All four operatives started getting back up to their feet. Phantom and Specter glared daggers at them.

"Van…" Dani said softly, getting the other two half-ghosts' attention.

"What?" Phantom asked as Specter's eye stopped giving off a flame.

"V… van…" Dani repeated, raising a shaky hand up and pointing at the armored van.

"I'll check it out," said Specter and he marched over to the van, letting Phantom comfort his 'cousin'.

The operatives, save for Operative L, grabbed their rifles and aimed them at the approaching angry halfa.

"Get out of my way," Specter growled.

"You have no authority over me, ghost!" Operative K exclaimed, "Stop where you are or be destroyed."

"I said get out of my _fucking way_," Specter said sternly as he telekinetically pushed the four operatives away, causing them to land on their backs.

As soon as he reached the rear of the van, Specter slammed his fist into the handle and nearly ripped the door off.

"… Wulf," he breathed.

The werewolf-like ghost's ears perked up as soon as he heard his name. He tried to speak, but the muffle was doing its job too well. Phantom walked over, still holding Dani as he held on tight to him. When he saw his friend tied up like an animal, he and Specter glanced over their shoulders and glared at the operatives, paralyzing them in fear of what the two 'ghosts' would do to them.

"I'll keep an eye on them," Phantom told Specter, "Get Wulf out of there."

Specter wordlessly turned his attention back to Wulf and began removing all the restraints off the ghost.

"Hey!" Operative O exclaimed, "You can't do that! That's government property! Ugh… this will have to go into my report."

"In your report!?" Specter snapped as he removed the muzzle from Wulf's face, "Take your report and _**shove it up your ass!**_"

The young halfa backed away to give Wulf some space as he hopped out of the van. He didn't notice the tear that Wulf had made on the floor beneath his body when he was trapped. Operative L glanced over and slowly reached for one of the ecto-assault rifles that were on the ground. He was barely an inch away before a green ghost ray blasted the weapon away, causing the operative to turn back to Phantom, whose right hand was held out and glowing green.

"If you _ever… __**EVER**_… come after any ghosts, including me and Danielle, or any kids here in Amity Park again… I will make you regret it," Phantom warned, "_Got it?_"

The operatives nervously nodded as Specter and Wulf stood next to Phantom.

"And one more thing," Specter said darkly, "If I ever catch you or any member of the GiW going after ghost children, I will personally ensure that you will be breathing and eating through tubes for the rest of your lives. And that's not a threat, that's a promise."

He then glanced over to Phantom.

"Come on, let's get out of here," said Logan as lightning flashed, followed by thunder.

"Please?" Dani asked weakly, her limbs wrapped tightly around Phantom's neck and torso.

Phantom, Specter, and Wulf gave the GiW operatives one last death glare before Phantom flew off with Dani in his arms and Specter and Wulf followed. As soon as they had disappeared into the darkness, the operatives slowly got back to their feet, readjusting their suits and classes. They didn't notice a fedora wearing ghost in a white suit slowly rise up from a tear Wulf had left behind.

"Now what?" Operative M asked.

"I'm blaming you for this mess," Operative O said to Operative K.

"Not unless I report you first," Operative K argued.

"Gentlemen," said a calm, but strict voice, "I may have a solution to your problem."

"Identify yourself!" Operative K ordered.

Walker floated out of the van with a smile.

"Lovely weather today, gentlemen."

The GiW operatives grabbed their weapons, save for Operative L, and aimed them at Walker.

"Let's not get hasty, agents," said Walker, "You don't have a chance against us."

"Us?" Operative O asked.

Walker raised a hand and snapped his fingers. On cue, Bullet and a squad of Walker's goon made themselves visible, showing the operatives that they were surrounded and outmatched.

"Do I have your attention now?" Walker asked.

"Uugghhh… what do you want, ghost?" Operative K asked.

"How about a deal?" Walker smirked, "One that will benefit us both."

"Explain," said Operative O.

"Much like yourselves, I am a law enforcement officer of the Ghost Zone," Walker explained, "You help me reacquire two of my prisoners…"

He leaned forward toward Operative K.

"… and I'll let you have the Phantom clone and the ghost from the future."

The GiW operatives glanced at one another for a moment before turning back to Walker.

"A clone?" Operative L asked, "Of that punk, Phantom?"

"Yes."

"And a ghost from the future?" Operative M asked.

"Yes," Walker replied before holding out his hand, "You help me, I help you. Everybody wins. Do we have a deal?"

"Hmmm…" Operative K pondered before shaking Walker's hand, "Deal."

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Tucker and Sam walked up to Sam's front door and pushed the door open. Jeremy and Pam were seated at the table when they glanced over and saw two dripping wet teens walk inside.

"Sammy-kins!" Pam exclaimed, "Why are you-"

Sam held up her hand as she and Tucker deadpanned at the empty air.

"Just… get us a couple of towels, please?" Sam asked, annoyed.

"I'm on it," Jeremy sighed as he got up and rushed to another room.

He swiftly returned with a couple of towels in hand.

"Here you go, Sam," he said as he handed Sam and Tucker each a towel, "You could have called us; we would have picked you up."

"Yeah, but you wouldn't have let my friends in the limo," Sam said flatly as she began drying herself.

"Wait, you have a limo?" Tucker asked.

"Does that really surprise you, Tucker?" Sam asked.

She then noticed her father still holding out two more towels towards her.

"One towel is enough, dad," she said.

"Oh, they're not for you," he said, showing signs of annoyance, "They're for-"

"Incoming!" Trevor yelled as he leapt off the stairs and slid across the floor, "Sorry about the mess, we'll clean it up in a few minutes."

He turned to Tucker and Sam as he grabbed the towels from Jeremy.

"My room, _now_," he said quickly before rushing back upstairs.

"What's up with him?" Tucker asked.

"I was hoping you two would know," Pam replied, "He and that Fenton just barged in here and went upstairs, dripping disgusting rainwater all over the floor!"

"Danny's here?" Sam asked, raising an eyebrow.

She and Tucker rushed up the stairs and followed the trail of water to Trevor's guestroom. Sam barely got out of the way in time just as Trevor rushed past her and Tucker.

"What is going on!?" Sam exclaimed as she and her friend entered the room.

They saw Danny, who was back in human form, leaning over the bed, pulling a blanket over someone. He was still soaking wet and dripping water everywhere.

"Danny?" Tucker asked, "What's up? You just ditched us after that loud scream."

"Incoming!" Trevor exclaimed as he phased through Tucker and Sam before becoming tangible, "Here's the first aid kit."

"Perfect," Danny replied as he took the box from Trevor's hands.

Trevor glanced down and saw the Deadshot lying on the ground and quickly kicked it under the bed, next to his chest. Tucker and Sam approached the bed and gasped.

"Danielle!?" they exclaimed.

The young half-ghost was also back in her human form and although the blanket was covering her below the waist, it didn't hide the condition she was in.

"Hey," she croaked, smiling that signature goofy Fenton smile, "Miss me?"

"No talking," Trevor ordered.

"Sam, I need your help," Danny told her, "Danielle's hurt and we could use an extra set of hands."

Sam snapped out of the shock and hurried to the opposite side of the bed. She instantly performed a doubletake when she saw Wulf sitting on the ground, biting at the tracker on his ankle.

"Wulf!?" she exclaimed.

"Sam, can we focus on Danielle, please?" Danny pleaded.

Trevor elbowed Tucker and jerked his head, telling him to follow him.

"Need my help?" Tucker asked.

"Yeah," Trevor muttered, "See if you can get that tracker off Wulf's ankle."

Tucker leaned down to take a closer look at the device.

"I think I can handle this," he smirked.

"The faster the better," said Trevor, "I don't think I'll be able to keep it together if the GiW-"

A loud knock at the front door was heard and everything froze when they heard who it was.

"Government operatives! Open up!"

"… show up again," Trevor growled as his eyes began to burn blue, "Clearly our warnings fell on deaf ears."

Downstairs, Jeremy and Pam were blocking the GiW entry into their home.

"What's the meaning of this!?" Pam exclaimed, "I demand an explanation."

Operative L stepped forward with a tablet in his hand.

"Ma'am, our scans show that a dangerous ghost is hiding in your residence," he explained, "We have the authority to search the premise and seize the ghost."

"A ghost? Here!?" Jeremy exclaimed.

He and his wife glanced at each other before looking over their shoulders and glaring upstairs. Back in the room, Sam was poking her head out to hear what was going on. She quickly pulled back inside and shut the door. Footsteps stormed up the steps and the operatives surrounded the door before they began to try and bash it open.

"Uh-oh," she muttered as she leaned against the door.

"Don't tell me," Trevor said flatly, "The Guys in White are here."

"Yup," Sam replied.

"Weapons drawn and ready?" Trevor asked.

"Most likely."

"… Bring it on," Trevor said calmly as a blue ring appeared around his waist.

"Got it!" Tucker exclaimed as he pulled the tracker off.

"Perfect," Specter replied before swiping it from his hands, "I'll deal with these idiots."

"We know you're in there, ghost!" Operative O shouted.

"Come out quietly or we will force you out!" Operative K exclaimed.

No one replied and the operative walked up to the door. He kicked it open and they stormed the room.

"Huh!?" they exclaimed.

Danny, Tucker, and Sam were sitting on the ground, playing cards, while Danielle was covered by the blanket, with her back towards the operatives. The three teens looked over and stared at them.

"Uh, can we help you?" Sam asked, raising an eyebrow and feigning confusion.

"Are you kids okay?" Operative M asked, "Our scans indicate that a ghost is in this very room."

Danielle glanced to the side nervously as she remained facing the opposite direction.

"Well, as you can see, there are no ghosts here," said Tucker, "Now if you don't mind, I'd like to clean house here."

"Operative L, report!" Operative O ordered.

"Target has left the premise," said the operative, "Signal has been lost."

"Curses," Operative K muttered.

"Oh, so you're wasting our time now?" Danny asked, trying to suppress his anger, "Do use a favor and get out."

"Not until we do a full sweep of the area," said Operative O.

***Ahem***

The operatives turned around and saw a very unhappy Jeremy and Pam with their arms crossed and glaring at them. Within a few seconds, the operatives were ushered out of the Manson residence, with Pam ranting about lawsuits and attorneys. They entered their van and prepared to drive off but were unaware of Specter phasing from the ground and placing the tracker onto the van. Danny, Tucker, and Sam watched from the window as the van drove away.

"Are they gone?" Danielle asked in fear.

Danny turned around and walked to the bedside.

"They're gone," he smiled, "You okay?"

Danielle nodded before slowly moving the blanket down and showing the wound just above her nip, wincing in pain.

"Alright, let's finish treating that injury and let you rest," said Danny as Sam walked over to the other side.

Tucker looked around and scratched his head in confusion, walking around as though he was searching for something.

"Where'd Wulf go?" he asked.

***Thud***

Due to Wulf's invisibility, Tucker didn't see him lying on the ground and tripped over the ghost.

"Sorry," Wulf smiled goofily in English before falling asleep.

Specter phased through the floor and turned tangible as soon as he stood on solid ground. A blue ring appeared around his waist as he facepalmed the sight of Tucker on the ground.

"How's that feel, Dani?" Sam asked as she finished taping the bandage on.

"Weird… ow…" Danielle replied.

"Does it hurt?" Danny asked.

Danielle shook her head before pointing towards her throat.

"Sore throat?" Trevor asked.

Danielle nodded.

"I'll see if my grandma can make some soup," said Sam.

It was at this point that Sam realized that Danielle was lying on a towel while Danny, Trevor, and Wulf were still dripping water.

"You guys have some cleaning up to do," she remarked, putting her hands on her hips.

"I'm on it," Trevor grumbled, "And I could use some soup as well, if it's okay."

"Clean up your mess and maybe you'll get some dinner," Sam joked.

"Who do you think you are? My mother?" Trevor retaliated as he grabbed a towel from ground and left the room.

Sam smirked as she followed him, and Tucker went to Danny's side. He glanced over and saw the Danielle had fallen asleep and was nestled under the blanket.

"So, what happened?" Tucker asked.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

A few miles away, the GiW van was pulled over and Operative L was crawling out from under the van with the tracker in his hands. His suit was filthy as he got back into the van and closed the door behind him.

"I have unfortunate news," he reported before holding up the tracker, "We've been following ourselves."

The operatives all groaned in annoyance as Walker made himself visible inside the van.

"This is clearly outside your league," he stated, "I might have a plan that involves us working together and benefits us both."

Operatives K and O turned around in their seats and stared at Walker.

"We're listening," they said simultaneously.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Sam smirked at Trevor as she passed him in the hallway, with him cleaning the floor.

"Wipe the smile off your face," he hissed, making her laugh.

Sam went downstairs and entered the kitchen, where she found Ida reaching into a cabinet under the counter and pulling out a large pot. Jeremy and Pam were seated at the table, talking on the phones with their lawyers.

"Hey, grandma," said Sam.

"Ah, hello, Bubeleh," Ida replied as Sam gave her a kiss on the forehead, "Are you hungry?"

"A little," Sam admitted before leaning close so her parents wouldn't hear their conversation, "Listen, Danny's cousin isn't feeling well. She's upstairs resting, so in the meantime I was wondering if you could make some soup for her."

Ida smirked and jerked a thumb over her shoulder, showing Sam that she was already getting ready to make some food with all the ingredients on the counter.

"I guess you read my mind," Sam chuckled, "I'll leave it to you then."

"Of course," said Ida, "The poor thing looks like she's been through a lot. Especially with what those _horrible _agents did to her."

"What do you mean?" Sam asked.

Ida glanced behind Sam and saw Trevor staring back for a moment before he walked away and went upstairs. Sam whipped her head around and saw him leave just in time.

"Why don't you leave this old woman to the cooking and you go back to your friends?" Ida suggested, "It'll take a few hours before the soup will be ready."

Sam hugged her grandmother and left to rejoin her friends. Once she reached the top of the stairs, Sam noticed Trevor leaning against the wall, right next to her bedroom door.

"Danielle's asleep," he explained without having to turn towards her, "Fenton and Foley are in your room."

"And Wulf?"

"He's resting as well," Trevor replied as he followed Sam into her room, "Guess we better get this over with."

"Get what over with?" Sam asked as she and Trevor joined Danny and Tucker on the floor of her room, "What's going on?"

"That's exactly what we're about to tell you," said Danny, who appeared to still be angry about earlier.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

At the Fenton Works, Jack and Maddie were down in the labs; Jack combing through all the documents and paperwork in the filing cabinet while Maddie was on the phone.

"Yes, that is correct," said Maddie as she went through a box full of papers, "I see… and how long will it take before we receive the documents?"

Jack pulled out a piece of paper, which turned out to be just a photo of Jazz when she was a baby in a pink jumper and a pacifier in her mouth.

"Awwww…" Jack sighed.

"_**FOUR TO SIX WEEKS!?" **_Maddie exclaimed, "Is there any way we can get those financials in the next few days?"

Jack walked over and showed Maddie photo, causing her to adore it as well.

"That's adorable," she sighed, "Enough distractions, we need to find those documents!"

"Don't worry, Maddie!" Jack exclaimed, "I'll find those documents even if it's the last thing I ever do!"

"Are you sure?" Maddie asked, focusing back to her call, "… ***Sigh* **Yes, I understand. Thank you."

She hung up the phone and continued searching through the box. A few seconds later, the phone rang.

"Hello?" said Maddie, "Oh, Jazz!"

"Jazz!?" Jack asked, "Let me talk to her!"

"Yes, sweetie, that was your father," Maddie told Jazz, "Sure, you can talk to him."

She held her hand over the mic and looked over to Jack.

"Don't tell her that we lost her financial documents," she told him as Jack took the phone and placed it to his ear.

"Jazzerincess!" Jack cried out in tears, "I miss you so much!"

Maddie continued searching through the box.

"What's that, Jazz?" Jack asked, "Did your mother say something about financial papers? No! Of course not! Why would you ask something like that!? ***Sniff* **I'm sorry, I just _miss you so mu-huh-huuuuuuuch!_"

Maddie gave Jack a gentle pat on the arm as she took the phone from him.

"Jazz? Yes, he's having another episode," Maddie chuckled, "You know how much your father misses you. What's that? Your financials!? Tomorrow!?"

Jack's eyes widened and he went straight back to searching for the documents.

"No, no, nothing's wrong with that, Jazz!" Maddie replied, "Yes, we're fine. Alright, we'll go over it tomorrow. I love you too, Jazz. Bye."

Maddie hung up and dove back into the box.

"Jazz is going to hate us if we don't find those documents by tomorrow," she said, worried.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

As the storm raged on outside, the GiW operatives sat in their van and watched the Manson residence from a distance. They spotted Walker flying towards the residence with Bullet and a couple of his goons following.

"Looks like we're about to hit the jackpot," said Operative K, "ETA from our destination after we capture the targets?"

"2 hours," said Operative M.

"Perfect," said Operative O, "Now we just have to wait."

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Danielle slowly opened her eyes and sat up as she stretched and yawned. She rubbed her eyes and looked around the room.

"Danny?" she called out softly.

She slightly winced from the soar throat she still had. She got out of bed and opened the door, poking her head out and looked around.

"Danny?"

The door across from the one she was in opened, slightly startling her.

"Danny!" she said with joy, rushing over and hugging him.

"Hey, Danielle," he laughed, "How are you feeling?"

"A little better," she replied, "My throat's still sore and I'm _starving_."

"Yep, she's a Fenton, alright," Sam laughed from her bed.

"Oh, hey, guys," said Danielle.

She let go of Danny and join Tucker, Sam, Trevor, and Wulf.

"Amiko!" Wulf exclaimed and gave Danielle a big lick.

**(Friend!)**

"Ewwww…." she groaned, wiping her face, "Why does he keep doing that?"

"That's just Wulf's way of showing affection," Danny explained, "I take if you don't know Esperanto?"

"Espe-what-now?" Danielle asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nerd language," Sam replied.

"Hey! You wanted to learn it yourself, you know!" Tucker snapped, "I taught you, remember?"

"My point exactly," Sam smirked.

Danielle turned to Wulf and raised an eyebrow.

"Wait, he only understands that language?" she asked.

"No, he understands English," said Trevor, "he just prefers to speak Esperanto 99% of the time."

"Oh," Danielle replied before she noticed Trevor's bandaged hand, "What happened to you?"

"This?" he asked, holding up the hand in question, "Hunting accident."

"Heh… he's not wrong," Tucker quipped.

"How are you doing?" Trevor asked Danielle, "Sorry we couldn't reach you sooner."

"I'm fine," she replied, "I'm just glad to be away from those weirdos."

"The Guys in White?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, the guys in the white suits," said Danielle, "Who were those guys?"

"The Guys in White," said Danny.

"Uh, yeah? Those guys," said Danielle, "Who are they?"

"The Guys in White," Danny repeated, not sure why Danielle was asking again.

"Yes, the guys in white suits. Who are they!?" Danielle asked, getting annoyed.

Trevor gave her side-eye.

"Are you having a laugh?" he asked.

"I'm just asking who those guys in the white suits are," said Danielle, "Why won't anyone answer me?"

"The Guys in-"

"Danny, shut up," said Trevor before he turned back to Danielle, "The guys in the white suits that hurt you are operatives of a 'secret' government agency called the Guys in White."

Danielle had a look of disbelief and utter confusion written all over her face.

"They're purpose is to track down any and all paranormal entities and destroy them," Trevor continued, "Clearly those idiots thought you were Phantom and tried to capture you."

"But I _am _Phantom," said Danielle.

Trevor stared at her in silence to process her response.

"… Are you naïve?" he asked before pointing to Danny, "I'm referring to _him_."

***GGGGRRRRrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr***

"Anyone got something to eat?" Danielle asked innocently.

"Guess that answers my question," Trevor muttered under his breath as he rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"My grandmother is making soup," said Sam, "It should be done soon."

"Actually…"

Everyone turned to the door and saw Ida on her mobility scooter.

"The soup is ready now," she explained, "Ah, you must be Danny's cousin."

"Yes, I am," Danielle replied, "I'm Danielle, but you can call me Dani. That's Dani with an 'I'."

"Well, sweetie, why don't we all head downstairs and give everyone a bowl of my French onion soup?" Ida suggested, getting Trevor's attention.

"Ooh, yes, please!" Danielle exclaimed.

Danny, Tucker, Sam, and Trevor left the room and made their way downstairs while Ida quickly pulled Sam aside.

"She's certainly a lively one," said Ida, "Much like Daniel."

"That she is," said Sam.

"I'd keep an eye on her if I were you," said Ida, "She seems lonely."

"She'll be fine, grandma," said Sam, "She's got me and Danny and Tucker."

She tapped her chin for a moment before smirking.

"And Trevor," she added before her eyes widened, "Wait… are mom and dad still downstairs?"

"_There's another one!?_" Jeremy and Pam exclaimed from downstairs.

"Oh, dear," Ida sighed, "I better get back down there and deal with the wolves."

Ida glanced over her shoulder.

"Not you, Wulf," she clarified, "Best if you stay here for the time being."

Sam stared at her grandmother in disbelief that she had no issue with a ghost in her room. As she and Ida made their way down the hall, Wulf decided now would be the perfect time for him to lie back down and go the sleep. No one noticed Walker peaking through the bedroom window as lighting cracked through the sky. Danielle was slowly made her way back to Sam's room, with Danny and Tucker close behind.

"Where's Trevor?" Sam asked.

"Trying to keep the peace," Danny replied, "Better get down there fast. He might chew them out at any second."

"No need to tell me twice," said Sam.

"Bubeleh!" Ida called from below, "Your soup will get cold!"

"Coming!" Sam replied and made her way downstairs.

She joined Trevor in the kitchen as he grabbed his bowl of soup.

"Sam, how the heck did your grandmother make her way down the stairs _in a mobility scooter_?" he asked.

"I have no idea," she replied, "When it comes to my grandma, she's just one big mystery."

"Well, considering that she somehow knew this is one of my favorite meals and knows about Wulf, you may be right," Trevor smirked.

He and Sam grabbed their bowls and went back upstairs.

"I hope Danielle will like it," said Sam, "Knowing how I feel about meat, my grandma uses mushroom broth instead of beef in soup."

"Well, with French onion soup," Trevor said as he entered Sam's room, "mushroom broth is the best choice to- Are you serious?"

Wulf was lying on his back with his tongue hanging out while Danielle was scratching his stomach, causing him to kick his right leg in pleasure.

"Wulf, you are a ferocious beast that has the ability to create his own ghost portals," said Trevor, "and all it takes for you to turn into a puppy is a _belly scratch_!?"

"He's a big softie, aren't you, Wulf?" Danielle giggled as she scratched harder.

Wulf's leg kicked faster as he panted. Trevor rolled his eyes as he and Sam joined everyone on the floor.

"So, what brings you back here, Danielle?" Danny asked, "You've only been away for a couple of weeks."

"Eh," Danielle shrugged as she finished the last of the soup in her bowl, "Traveling got a bit stale. I wanted to stay with you."

Trevor gave her a suspicious look as he ate his soup.

"Aw, that's, uh… sweet, Danielle," said Sam, trying to not express concern.

Unfortunately, Danielle noticed and raised an eyebrow.

"Is something wrong, Sam?" Danielle asked.

She glanced around and noticed that Danny, Tucker, and Trevor were also concerned.

"What?" Danielle asked, "Is there something wrong?"

Danny placed his bowl down and approached his look alike on his knees.

"Danielle, I need you to answer me honestly, okay?" Danny asked.

"Uh… about what?" Danielle asked nervously.

"***Sigh* **What have you been doing these past couple of weeks?" Danny asked.

"Travelling?" Danielle answered with a nervous smile.

"I mean… how did you end up like… _this_?" Danny asked.

"I… don't know what you're talking about."

"Danielle…"

Danielle sighed and put her bowl down.

"I… I haven't been doing so well since you saved me from Vlad," she admitted, "I thought people wouldn't mind letting a girl have a decent place to sleep for the night or offer some free food, but…"

"World full of heartless jerks?" Trevor asked.

Danielle nodded. Danny, Tucker, and Sam were in disbelief.

"Wha- How… I… Why didn't you come to me for help?" Danny asked.

"I didn't want to be a burden to you," Danielle sighed.

"How can you be a burden?" Danny asked, "You're like family to me!"

"That's why," Danielle mumbled.

"What?" Danny asked.

"I'm _like _family," Danielle explained as she pulled her legs up and hugged them, "I know you care about me and treat me like I'm your cousin, but in the back of your mind, I'm just a clone."

"That's not true!" Danny exclaimed, earning him a look from Danielle, "Okay, maybe I _do_, but that's not what I meant when I think you're like family."

He reached over and pulled her close for a hug.

"You _are _family to me," he told her, "I don't care about you being a clone, I care about you more than you will ever know."

"Hey, save some of that love for me," Sam smirked.

When Danny pulled away from Danielle, he was met with tears of joy.

"Thanks, Danny," Danielle smiled before leaning over and kissing him on the cheek.

A flash of light got the two half-ghosts' attention when Sam took their picture with her camera.

"Aww," she teased, "I think this might be one of my favorites once I put it in my scrapbook."

Danny and Danielle instantly blushed when they saw the photo in Sam's hand. Suddenly, Wulf shot up to his feet and began sniffing the air.

"Wulf?" Trevor asked, "Ĉu io malbonas?"

**(Wulf? Is something wrong?)**

"Ili estas ĉi tie..." Wulf growled.

**(They are here…)**

"Who's here?" Sam asked.

Suddenly, Danny and Danielle gasped as their ghost sense went off.

"Helping a known fugitive escape arrest," said a voice, "That's against the rules."

"Walker," Danny growled.

Everyone jumped to their feet and the three halfas went ghost.

"What are you doing here, Walker?" Danny asked, glancing around for any sign of the ghost, "You rarely ever leave the Ghost Zone."

"Your friend, Wulf, was kind enough to make a tear back into the Ghost Zone," Walker explained, "And now, the four of you are under arrest."

"Over my dead body," said Specter, "Why don't you do us all a favor and go back to your prison, warden."

"I'm afraid I can't do that," said Walker, "And none of you will have a choice."

Sam's bedroom door opened, and Jeremy and Pam entered the room, getting everyone's attention.

"Mom? Dad?" Sam asked, "Of all the moments for them to barge in here."

"Samantha, what in the world is going on here!?" Pam asked, "You know better than to be around these ghosts!"

"Oh, shut up," said Specter, "Walker, if your goons are gonna overshadow people, at least have them make an effort to _actually _fool us."

Jeremy and Pam expressed shock for a brief moment before their eyes turned red and an evil grin appeared on their faces.

"But we did fool you," said 'Jeremy'.

Two of Walker's other goons phased through the ceiling and overshadowed Tucker and Sam. Their eyes turned red and the same grin appeared on their faces as they each pulled out a shock collar and snuck up behind Danny and Wulf. Specter turned around and realized what was going on.

"Danny! Wulf! Look out!" he exclaimed.

***WHAM***

Specter didn't notice Walker behind him and was punched in the face, instantly knocking him out. The overshadowed Tucker and Sam slammed the shock collars around Danny's and Wulf's necks.

"Danny?" Dani asked, glancing over to her cousin.

At the moment, the GiW stormed into the room and surrounded a dazed Specter and Dani, pointing their ecto-assault rifles at them.

"You're coming with us, ghost scum!" said Operative K.

Dani got into a fighting stance as her hands began to glow green.

"Not today, criminal," said a voice behind her.

Suddenly, a pair of pink ecto-whips****** **wrapped around Dani's body.

"Hey!" she shouted, struggling to break free, "Let me go!"

Bullet yanked Dani towards him and readied his fist. Dani gasped before everything went black.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

"Wake up."

Danny began to stir as he regained consciousness.

"Huh!?" he exclaimed when he felt his wrists and ankles restrained.

He looked down and realized that not only was he still in his ghost form, but his arms and legs were strapped to a metal chair that was placed under a small light, surrounded by darkness.

"Don't try turning back into a human," said Walker as he walked into the light, "You won't be able to escape this time."

"Alright, Walker, let's get this over with," Danny said half-heartedly, "Tell me your plan, I'll find a way to escape, blah blah blah; why don't we skip the fighting and get straight to the part where me and my friends escape."

"You mean _friend_?" Walker smirked, getting close to Danny's face.

"Friend?" Danny asked, "Wulf?"

"That's all I've wanted, punk," Walker explained as he began to walk slowly around Danny, "You and Wulf back behind bars. Specifically, in _my _prison."

"What have you done with my friends!?" Danny shouted, grunting as he tried to break free.

"Your human friends are of no concern to me," Walker replied, "The geek, the girl, and her parents were left behind."

"What about Dani? And Specter?" Phantom asked.

"By now, they are probably leaving the city limits of Amity Park," Walker smirked.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

A few miles outside of the city limits of Amity Park, the GiW van was driving off through the storm, with an unconscious Dani Phantom and Logan Specter in the back. Their wrists were cuffed behind their backs, connected to chain link that was secured to the walls. Specter groaned as his eyes began to open.

"Damn you, Walker," he muttered.

Specter looked over and saw Dani sitting across from him.

"Hey, Dani?" he called out.

"Uggghhhh…" she moaned as she began to wake up, "Where am I?"

"One of the last places you'd want to be," Specter replied, "The back of the GiW van."

Dani glanced around and saw the white metal containing her and Specter. She pulled on the restraints but couldn't break free.

"Don't even bother," said Specter, "The cuffs have anti-ghost tech inside. Ghost powers have no effect on them."

"Great," Dani muttered, "Wait! Where's Danny!?"

"Walker and his goons probably took him and Wulf back to his prison in the Ghost Zone," Specter replied.

"Oh, even _better_," Dani sulked, "So much for me _not _being a burden."

"What are you talking about?" Specter asked, giving her a look, "It wasn't your fault Walker showed up and-"

"Yes, it is," Dani moped, "I'm the one who brought Wulf along with me. If I just left when that ice cream man told me to, none of this would have happened."

"Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa, hang on a second," said Specter, "First of all, if it's anyone's fault, it's the GiW's and Walker's. Second, if it weren't for _you_, Wulf would have been captured by the GiW or Walker… or worse. And third… did you go to the small ice cream parlor on the west side of town?"

"Yeah… why?"

"The one with the douchebag who insults every customer?"

"He insults everyone?" Danielle asked.

"Yeah, he's a real piece of work," said Specter, "The point is, none of this was your fault."

"But-"

"No buts!" Specter interrupted, "You are not a burden. And no matter what, Danny will always take care of you. Even if you're not-"

Specter's eyes widened and he glanced away.

"Not what?" Dani asked.

She studied Specter's reaction as he didn't look back. Her eyes widened when she realized what he was going to say.

"You know!?" she exclaimed.

"Yeah," Specter sighed, "I found out the day after you left."

"Does Danny know!?"

"Doubt it," Specter replied, "I haven't said a word, since it's not my place to do so."

Dani sighed in relief.

"But I think you should," said Specter.

"what?" Dani asked, "_Tell him!?_"

Specter nodded.

"But… I mean… what if…"

"I'm not saying you need to tell him immediately," said Specter, "I'm just saying you shouldn't keep this from him too long."

Dani gave him a hard side-eye.

"Who are you and what have you done with Specter?" she asked, "The real Specter would never be this compassionate."

"Well, I came from the future and met these three idiots who began to destroy my 'façade' of me being serious kid."

Dani giggled and sighed.

"So… what now?" she asked, "Do we just let these guys win?"

"Hell, no," Specter smirked, "I'm working on it."

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

"Where are they, Walker!?" Danny shouted.

"Let's just say that where they're going, they'll never be a bother to anyone ever again," Walker smirked as he stood before Phantom, arms crossed.

"You let the Guys in White take them away?" Phantom asked in disbelief, "Are you insane!? Do you even know what they're gonna do to them!?"

"Not my problem," said Walker, "Guards! Send the prisoner to his cell."

A pair of ghost guards appeared from the shadows and approached Danny. They grabbed his arms before the restraints unlocked, freeing Danny's wrists and ankles. Phantom glared at the three ghosts and turned intangible, pulling his arms free. Before the guards could react, Danny punched them both in the face and flew towards Walker as his legs morphed into a ghost tail.

"Nice try," Walker smirked.

Phantom was only inches away from hitting Walker when the collar around his neck began shocking him, causing him to stop midair and groan in pain. His tail morphed back into legs as the shock continued.

"I'm afraid you won't be escaping this time, punk," Walker explained as he held up a small controller in his hand, "That collar around your neck can be activated from anywhere."

Danny descended to the ground and leaned against his knees.

"Now, if I were you, I'd be on my best behavior," said Walker, "Wouldn't want to a repeat performance now, would we?"

"I swear, if _anything _happens to Danielle, you're gonna-"

"Empty threats from a cornered punk," Walker interjected, "Guards, take him away."

The two guards floated over to Danny, grabbed him by the arms, and dragged him away.

"Oh, and don't think your friends are going to save you this time, ghost kid," Walker said over his shoulder, "I've got a hundred guards patrolling the outside of the facility. No one's getting in. _Or out_."

Danny struggled a little as he was dragged away, leaving Walker alone in the room.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Back inside the GiW van, Dani and Logan were still handcuffed to the sides of the van. Specter was grunting in frustration as he struggled around in his seat.

"What are you trying to do?" Dani asked.

"Get us out of here," Specter snapped, causing her to lower her head, "***Sigh* **I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that. I'm just frustrated."

When Dani didn't respond for a few seconds, Specter focused back on his task. He began shifting around in his seat, causing something to begin sliding out from his back pocket. The more he moved, the more the object came out.

"Oh, come on!" Specter hissed, slamming his back against the wall.

***Bang bang***

"Shut up, back there!" Agent L exclaimed, after banging on the wall.

"Go to hell, child beaters!" Specter shouted.

He scoffed and glanced the other way. It took a moment for him to notice something out of the corner of his eye. He looked down to the ground and saw that his family photo had fallen out of his pocket and was now faceup on the ground.

"Is that your family?" Dani asked.

"Uh," Logan gasped as he tried to reach for the photo with his foot.

"What?" Dani asked, "It's just a photo. I'm guessing that's your mom… you big sister…"

"Phantom… stop," Specter told her, worried.

"I'm guessing that's your older brother," Dani continued, "He looks a lot like you."

"Dani… please," Specter begged, "Stop."

"I see you; must be from a couple of years ago," she smirked, "And… ah, that must be your little sister, right?"

Specter's foot froze before his leg relaxed and he sat up normally.

"No dad, huh?" Dani asked, not taking her eyes off the photo, "Guess we both have something in common."

Specter didn't reply.

"Or, maybe something happened to him?" Dani asked, "I didn't mean to be rude."

Specter remained silent. This time, Dani did look up.

"Hey, I didn't mean-"

She stopped talking when she noticed Specter staring at the photo. She followed his line of sight and figured out he was staring at the little girl with long black hair and purple irises, wearing a dark red dress. In her hands was a black and white skeleton plushie with an orange jack-o'-lantern with green eyes for a head.

"Specter?" Dani asked, looking back to him, "Are you okay?"

Specter slowly shook his head.

"Logan, are you-"

"We'll talk about it later," Specter growled, hinting anger and melancholy in his voice.

"… okay," Dani sighed, "What now?"

"I have no idea," Logan groaned.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Back in Walker's prison, Danny, who was now in the same black and white striped prison uniform and hat he wore last time he was locked up, was sitting in his cell. Glaring at the security camera that was monitoring him. A loud buzzer went off and his cell door opened.

"_Alright, prisoners, you know the drill!" _a guard said through the speakers, _"All Block B through C inmates, get yourselves to the cafeteria!"_

Phantom groaned as he got up and walked out of his cell.

***Thud***

"Hey, watch it!" a prison snapped when Phantom bumped into him.

"Geez, _sor-ry_," Phantom muttered.

He followed the prisoner down the hall and entered the cafeteria. Danny glanced around the area but found only a handful of remotely familiar ghosts he had dealt with in the past.

"Do bad Skulker isn't here," Phantom said to himself, "I sure could use his help, as much as I hate to admit it."

"Hey, it's the ghost-boy!" a prisoner exclaimed, getting every ghost's attention to Danny.

"Well, isn't this a surprise," another smirked.

"Looks like we're gonna have a punching bag after all!" shouted another.

Suddenly, a long tentacle shot from the side and grabbed Phantom's leg.

"H-hey!" he exclaimed before the tentacle picked him up and smashed him against the wall.

"That's enough," Walker ordered from the catwalk above, "There will be plenty of time for you to play with the punk later."

The tentacle's owner scoffed in annoyance as he dropped Phantom.

"Ow," he muttered as he got back to his feet, "This is ridiculous. I don't have time for this."

He turned around to leave but was blocked by two guards.

"Get out of the way," Phantom warned, only to get laughs from them in response, "Grrrr… fine then."

He held up his hands and blasted the two guards with his ghost rays. Phantom began running down the hall. Suddenly, the shock collar activated and shocked him, bring him to his hands and knees.

"You've got guts, kid, I'll give you that," said Walker as he floated down and approached Phantom, "But fun's over. You're never getting out of this place again."

The shock collar stopped shocking Phantom, allowing him to catch his breath. A pair of furry feet stood before him and he slowly looked up to find Wulf standing before him.

"Wulf!?" Phantom exclaimed as he noticed the collar around his neck as well.

His ally gave him a sad look before he made his way inside the cafeteria.

"You know the drill, Wulf," said Walker, "Grab your food and get back into your cell."

He then turned to Phantom.

"As for you, you can return to your cell, with or without food."

"I'm not hungry," said Danny, glaring back at him.

"Very well," said Walker, "Guards! Take him back to his cell."

Two guards floated past Wulf and Walker and grabbed Phantom by the arms. Wulf glanced over his shoulder as he watched his friend disappear around a corner.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

In the front of the van, the operatives were sitting in their seats in silence while Operative K continued driving through the rain. A loud bang was heard in the back, getting their attention.

"Sounds like the cargo isn't too secured," Operative K muttered, "Pulling over. Operatives L and M, you two go check the cargo."

The van was pulled off to the side as lightning flashed in the distance. Thunder boomed as the two operatives stepped out of the van.

"Ugh," Operative M groaned, "This mud will be an issue to remove from this suit."

"As if the stains on our suits already won't be difficult to remove," said Operative L as they walked around the van and unlocked the doors, "Alright, let's deal with the brats and get out of here."

The doors opened and Logan and Dani looked over to the operatives.

"Bathroom break?" Dani asked, "Yeah, we're fine, thank you very much."

"Silence, ghost scum!" Operative L ordered, "You two have been making a lot of racket back here. And ghosts don't have to use the bathroom."

"You'd be surprised," Logan said flatly.

"Operative M, hand me the shackles," Operative L ordered.

Operative M reached into his suit and pulled out two shackles with short, purple glowing chains.

"Oh, so because you dumbasses can't drive, you're gonna punish us?" Specter asked, "Typical."

"Sit still and remain silent," Operative L ordered as he knelt down to put the restrains on Specter's ankles.

"Don't try anything funny," Operative M warned, revealing an ecto-rifle aimed at Specter.

"Hmm… I can work with that," Specter replied.

Operative L glanced over and saw the photo on the ground.

"What is this?"

***WHAM***

Logan kneed Operative L in the face, snapping his sunglasses and knocking him against the opposite wall right next to Dani. A small metal key slipped out of the operative's pocket and landed in her lap.

"Hey!" Operative M exclaimed and shot Specter in the right arm.

"GAH!" he exclaimed, before he glared at the operative, breathing heavily, "Seriously? You'd shoot a kid?"

"You're a ghost," Operative M replied, "Age is meaningless to you."

Operative L shook his head and got back to his feet.

"If this brat does anything funny again, destroy him," he told Operative M.

***Click***

As the cuffs slipped off her wrists, Dani lunged forward, grabbing Operative L's head and slamming his face into the wall. Before Operative M could react, Dani launched an ecto-disk at his weapon, knocking it out of his hand. Operative M watched the weapon fly a couple feet away and land in the mud before he glanced back over in time for Dani to punch him in the face.

"Not bad, Phantom," Specter commented.

"Did you have to do that?" Dani asked over her shoulder.

"Hey, I didn't do anything funny."

Dani flew back inside the van and pulled out the key.

"Are you okay?" she asked as she leaned over and unlocked Specter's handcuffs.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he replied as he picked up his photo and shoved it back into his pocket, "I've had worse."

"How much worse?" she asked.

"… You don't wanna know," Specter replied before glancing between the unconscious operatives, "Quite a mess we've made."

"Operative L, Operative M, report!" Operative O yelled from the front of the van.

"Come on!" Dani whispered, "Let's get out of here!"

"No!" Logan replied, grabbing her arm, "We leave now, they'll just come back after us. We're not that far from Amity Park."

"Operatives, report!" Operative K ordered.

"What do we do?" Dani asked, worried.

"Phantom, we're half-ghosts," Logan smirked, "What do you think we should do about the ones sleeping?"

Dani raised an eyebrow before the lightbulb went off in her head. Back in the front, Operative O was drumming his fingers on the dash, wondering what was taking so long.

"Operatives, what is going on!?" he yelled.

"Calm yourself, Operative O," Operative M replied.

"Oh!" Operative O exclaimed when he saw Operative M standing just outside his door, "Apologies, operative. I didn't not notice you approaching."

"The cargo is making things rather… _difficult_," Operative M explained, "Operative L and myself will remain in the back of the van to keep a close watch on the two ghosts."

"Understood," Operative O replied, "Are you alright? Your voice sounds different."

"I'm standing in the cold rain because _someone _couldn't drive properly," Operative M remarked, "I'll have to put in a requisition order for cold medicine if this keeps up."

He walked back around the van and got in the back, where Dani had plopped Operative L's body. Specter phased out of Operative M's body and let the operative slump down next to his partner.

"Alright, let's get out of here," said Dani as she and Logan floated out and closed the doors behind them.

The van began to drive off and the two halfas turned invisible. As the van disappeared into the distance, they became visible again and flew off back to Amity Park.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Danny laid in his bunk, frowning at the ceiling.

"What am I gonna do?" he sighed, "If Danielle and Specter don't find a way to escape, there's no telling what the GiW will do to them."

He sat up combed his hair back with his hand.

"If I could just get rid of this stupid collar…"

***Ding***

Phantom glanced over at the camera as he grabbed his blanket and chucked it over the camera.

"This is probably one of the dumbest ideas I've ever come up with," he muttered seconds before the collar activated.

Fighting through the pain, Danny held his ground as he got to his feet and leaned against the wall opposite of the cell door.

"Phantom, I don't know what you hope to achieve," Walker said as he walked down the hall, controller in hand, "but it's hopeless."

The collar deactivated just as Walker was nearing the cell. He stopped in front of Phantom's cell and peered inside.

"Hm?"

Walker glanced around and realized Phantom was nowhere in sight.

"Guards!" he shouted, "Open this cell!"

An alarm buzzed and the cell open. Walker stepped inside and looked around.

"How is this possible!? He couldn't have escaped so easily!"

"Who says I escaped?" Phantom asked as he revealed himself behind the warden.

Walker spun around and gasped as Phantom punched him in the face and took the controller from his hand. He then spun around and kicked the warden into wall.

"So much for me being locked up for good," Danny smirked as he pressed a button on the controller.

The collar beeped a couple of times before it unlocked. Phantom grabbed the collar and tossed it at Walker. It grabbed his neck and locked into place.

"What!?" Walker exclaimed, before glaring up at Phantom, "You…"

Phantom smirked as he flew out of the cell and slammed the door closed, locking Walker inside.

"Guards!" Walker shouted, "Get me out- AAAAAAUUUGGGHHH!"

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Danny taunted as he kept his thumb on the controller button, "Isn't there a rule against prisoners ordering guards around?"

"Hey, the ghost-kid escaped!" a guard exclaimed, startling Danny and causing him to drop the controller.

"And that's my cue to leave," Danny quipped to himself as he turned and flew off down the hall.

A squad of guards chased after him while a couple opened the cell Walker was in.

"Walker, are you alright?" one of them asked.

"I will be," Walker muttered as he picked up the controller and removed the collar from his neck, "once I get my hands on that punk."

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

"Jack, have you found it!?" Maddie exclaimed, as she pulled her head out of a box of documents.

She and Jack were in the kitchen, digging through more boxes of documents.

"Nope," Jack replied, causing Maddie to sigh.

"We've searched _everywhere,_ and we can't find those financials," she groaned, "Maybe it'll be best if we just pay for her education."

"You're probably right," Jack sighed as Logan and Dani flew past the kitchen, "But that won't make Jazz hate us."

"She was very insistent on not relying on us for financial support," said Maddie, "She won't like hearing about this."

"There's a lot to not like in this world," said Jack, "but I know one thing; family always supports each other. Doesn't matter if they are part ghost or not."

Dani poked her head around the corner, surprised by what she heard.

"Still surprised as I am about Danny's… nature?" Maddie asked.

"Very," Jack replied, "But he's our son. And our prejudice of ghosts made us blind to long. It's strangely comforting to know not all ghosts are evil. Heck, I could even consider Danielle as a daughter, regardless of how she came to this world."

A smile appeared on Dani's face just before Specter grabbed her shoulders and pulled her towards the lab.

"I do as well," Maddie smiled, "Maybe the next time she visits we talk to her about staying with us."

Her eyes widened.

"But first, we should double check everywhere for those financials!" she exclaimed as she scanned through all the forms again.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Phantom flew down the halls, passing over every guard he came across.

"Jeez, how many guards does Walker have here?"

He flew around a corner and halted to a stop when he realized the way was blocked by a squad of guards holding batons and riot shields.

"Hold it right there, Phantom," one of them ordered.

"Nope," he replied and flew off in the opposite direction.

"After him!" the guard shouted.

A couple cell blocks away, Wulf had returned to his highly secure cell with his tray of food**^* **and was eating like an animal. As he licked the plate clean, a familiar scent reached his nose. He smelled the air and went over to the door.

***Sniff sniff***

"Amiko?" Wulf wondered.

He peered through the small window on his cell door**^****. A moment later, Phantom raced across his field of view, followed by a squad of guards chasing after him. Wulf narrowed his eyes and growled. Suddenly, Danny reappeared in front of Wulf, relinquishing his invisibility.

"Wulf!"

"Amiko!"

Danny glanced around the door but couldn't find anything to grab to open the door. He raised an eyebrow and turned to Wulf, who was deadpanning as he held up a hand and pointed to the right of the door, referring to the lever. Phantom pulled it down and the door opened. Wulf hopped out and licked Danny's face.

"Alright, let's get out of here," said Phantom, "We need to find Danielle and Specter before the GiW do who knows what to them."

"I don't think so."

Phantom and Wulf looked over and saw Walker, Bullet, and a couple dozen guards blocking the way.

"Let us go, Walker," Phantom warned.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, punk," said Walker, "You and Wulf have caused a lot of trouble. And for that, you will remain here. _Forever_."

Danny raised his hands and prepared to fire his ghost rays.

"I might not have you on a leash, ghost-boy," Walker smirked as he pulled out a remote control, "but can't say the same about your friend, Wulf."

Phantom's and Wulf's eyes widened as Walker pressed the button. But nothing happened.

"Hm?" Walker muttered, arching his brow as he pressed the button a couple more times before analyzing the controller, "What's going on!? Why isn't it working!?"

"Oh, it's working alright."

"Huh?" everyone exclaimed as they turned to Wulf and saw Logan Specter making himself visible, holding on to Wulf's collar and absorbing all the electrical current.

"Specter!" Phantom exclaimed.

"How did he get in here!?" Walker growled.

"Hey, bleach-head!"

***WHAM***

Dani flew straight at Walker and spun around, kicking him in the face.

"Ooooff," Walker grunted as he hit the wall.

Dani floated next to her cousin and held out her glowing green hands.

"What took you so long?" Danny smirked to his female counterpart.

"Hey, I'd like to see _you _try and escape from a GiW van!" Dani exclaimed, "Not to mention sneaking inside to save _your _butt."

Wulf glared at Walker as he reached up and gripped the collar with his two hands. With Specter taking the electrical energy, Wulf remained unharmed as he pulled the collar apart into two pieces.

"The shock collar has been removed!" Bullet exclaimed as he aimed his weapon at Wulf.

"Take down Wulf," Walker ordered.

On command, Bullet launched his ecto-whips at the ghost just as Specter blinked in front of Wulf. He snatched them out of the air and they wrapped around his right wrist before he was shocked.

"Mmmm…" Logan groaned, "Why'd I use my bad hand?"

He glared at Bullet as the attack continued to be ineffective on him.

"You think that's a shock? Let me show you what a _real _shock is," said Logan as his hand began to glow blue and crackled with electricity.

Suddenly, blue ecto-energy traveled up the whip and shocked Bullet, causing him the lose his grip on the weapon. Logan stopped yanked on the whip as Dani flew forward and grabbed it. She chuckled as she flew around Walker, Bullet, and the guards at high speed, wrapping them together in the whip. Once she had them all wrapped up, she landed beside Logan and began removing the whip from his hand. Danny glanced over and noticed that Specter was looking away, trying to hide his blush from everyone. He noticed Danny smirking and gave him a threatening look. Wulf turned to Danny and tilted his head in confusion.

"Ĉu li ŝatas ŝin?" he asked Danny.

**(Does he like her?)**

"Wulf, shut up," Logan muttered, giving him the same threatening look as he blushed harder.

"Huh?" Dani asked, raising an eyebrow, "What did he say?"

"Nothing," Logan said flatly, "Um… thanks for the help."

"No biggie," Dani replied as she tied the end of the whip to the weapon hilt, "So, what now?"

"You think this is the end, ghost-children!?" Walker exclaimed, getting their attention, "When I get out of here, I will put a bounty so high on your heads that you'll all be brought to my front doors before you can even transform!"

As Dani and Logan rolled their eyes, Wulf leaned over to Danny and whispered something into his ear. Danny glanced over to Wulf and nodded.

"What are you doing?" Walker asked as Danny slowly made his way over to the giant group of lassoed ghosts.

"Walker," Danny sighed with a smile as he stopped behind the ghosts, "I think it's high time _you _and your cronies did some time of your own."

Walker, Bullet, and the guards all raised a brow before Wulf's chuckle got their attention. They watched as Wulf slashed through the air and opened a tear into the real world.

"What is this!?" Walker exclaimed, "This is absurd! I am the warden of this prison! I bring order to the Ghost Zone! Do you have any idea what will happen as soon as the order is gone!?"

"Nothing, I bet," Danny smirked before he took a deep breath.

Wulf walked past the ghosts and Dani's and Specter's eyes widened as they realized what was about to happen. Dani dropped the whip and the two halfas flew behind Danny.

***Whoo-oo-OO-OO-OO-oo-oo-oo-OO-OO-OO-oo-oo-oo-OO-OO-OO~***

Walker, Bullet, and the guards yelled as the Ghostly Wail hurled the clump of ghosts into the air and into the tear. Logan, Dani, and Wulf had their ears covered as Dani opened one of her eyes.

"Danny, stop!" she shouted, "They're gone!"

Danny stopped his attack and sighed in exhaustion as the tear closed.

"Not the best way to appease a warden," Specter joked dryly.

"Well, he used my friends against me," Danny replied.

"Fair enough," said Specter.

"Can we get out of here?" Dani asked.

"Yeah," said Danny, "Let's get out of here."

"Permesu min helpi pri tio," Wulf smiled.

**(Let me help you with that.)**

He took a couple steps forward and tore open another tear. Danny walked over and glanced through.

"It leads back to Sam's room," Danny smiled to the others before turning to Wulf, "Dankon, Wulf."

**(Thanks, Wulf.)**

Wulf gave his friend a silly smile before he followed Phantom through the tear. Dani and Specter followed suit and the tear closed.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

"Uggghhh…"

"Oh, good, you're finally away!" Danielle exclaimed as Tucker and Sam slowly sat up and rubbed their heads.

"Ow…" Sam groaned, "What happened?"

"Walker and the Guys in White happened," Danny replied as he held out his hands, "They teamed up and captured me, Danielle, Wulf, and Trevor."

Tucker and Sam each took a hand and Danny helped them up.

"Why does my head feel like it's been used as Dash's bunching bag?" Tucker asked.

"A couple of Walker's goons overshadowed the both of you and forced shock collars on Phantom and Wulf," Trevor explained, "Walker then took them away to his prison."

"What happened to you and Danielle?" Tucker asked.

"We were VIPs and got a ride in the GiW van," Danielle replied, "Must say, not the greatest field trip ever. Zero out of ten from me."

"Wait, where are my parents?!" Sam exclaimed.

"Relax, Sam," said Danny, "When we got back, you, Tucker, and your parents were sill unconscious. Trevor carried them to their room and left them to sleep it off."

"Carried them?" Sam smirked.

"Telekinetically, Manson," Trevor clarified, "Don't get any ideas."

"How did you guys escape?" Tucker asked.

"Short version?" Danielle asked, "Tricked the Guys in White, traveled to the Ghost Zone, Danny tricked Walker and ran around the prison, freed Wulf, me and Logan showed up, beat the bad guys, and escaped the prison."

"Uh… some details would be nice," said Tucker.

"Can we talk about it another time?" Danielle yawned, "I'm beat, and I'd rather do something fun."

She turned to Trevor and remembered something.

"Or, maybe, I could help find Reaper?" she asked, causing Trevor to raise an eyebrow.

"Oh!" he exclaimed, "You know what? Forget about the whole 'impress me' thing."

"Huh?" Danielle exclaimed, "What? I thought-"

"You actually did really well against the GiW and Walker's goons, even as a team player," Trevor explained, "With some training, I think you'd make this team stronger."

"Really?" Danielle asked.

"Yes," Trevor deadpanned, "Please don't make this weird."

Lightning flashed across the sky and thunder boomed, getting Tucker's and Sam's attention.

"It's _still _raining?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, no surprise to me," Danny chuckled, "But… it does make for the perfect horror movie night."

Sam heard snoring and glanced over to her bed, where she saw a large object covered by blankets.

"Wulf?" she asked.

A furry head phase through the blankets and looked at Sam.

"Saluton, amiko," he smiled.

**(Hello, friend.)**

Wulf phased out of the blankets and stood up, stretching his arms and legs before rolling his shoulders.

"Good to see you safe, Wulf," said Tucker, "Kion vi faros nun?"

**(What are you going to do now?)**

"Mi venis ĉi tien por kaŝiĝi de la GiW," Wulf explained, "Nun, ke ili kaj Walker foriris, nun estas la tempo por mi foriri."

**(I came here to hide from the GiW. Now that they and Walker are gone, now is the time for me to leave.)**

"What?" Danielle asked, "You're leaving now?"

"Kiel vi scias Esperanton?" Wulf asked, raising a brow.

**(How do you know Esperanto?)**

"Danny kaj Trevor instruis min iomete dum vi dormis," Danielle replied.

**(Danny and Trevor taught me a little while you were sleeping.)**

"Vi lernas rapide," Wulf smiled, "Impressive."

**(You learn fast.)**

"It was nice seeing you again, Wulf," said Sam, "Ĉi-foje provu resti sen problemo."

**(This time try to stay out of trouble.)**

Wulf smirked as he walked over to the window and opened it.

"Ĝis venontfoje, amikoj," he smirked over his shoulder.

**(Until next time, friends.)**

"Later, furball," Danielle teased as Wulf flew off into the storm.

Trevor telekinetically closed the window and yawned.

"Man, I'm exhausted," he sighed.

"I'm sure a good horror movie will perk you up," Sam smiled, "What time is it, anyways?"

"It's almost 6:30," Danny replied, "Downstairs?"

"Downstairs," Tucker and Sam said at the same time.

"Downstairs?" Danielle asked as she followed everyone out of the room.

"You'll see," Trevor smirked.

"Hey, that reminds me," said Sam as she began descended the stairs, "What happened to Walker and his goons?"

Danny glanced over his shoulder, showing his goofy smile.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Far from Amity Park, the GiW van slowly entered the secure base as the sun was setting in the distance. Operative Alpha was waiting outside the main building as the van stopped before him and Operatives K and O exited the vehicle.

"Operative Alpha, sir!" the two saluted.

"You're late, operatives," Operative Alpha noted.

"Sorry, sir," said Operative K, "Bad weather slowed us down."

"You have the target?" Operative Alpha asked.

"Unfortunately, sir, the target escaped," Operative O reported.

"However, we recovered something better," Operative K added, "Operatives L and M are in the back with the targets."

"You better not disappoint me again," Operative Alpha noted as he followed the two to the back of the van.

The doors opened, revealing a horde of ghosts tied up and crammed in the small space of the van. Operatives L and M were beginning to regain consciousness as Operative Alpha turned to the confused Operatives K and O.

"I'm impressed," Operative Alpha, "I'll be expecting a full report soon."

"Uh… yes, sir!" the operatives exclaimed.

"Don't think we'll be here long, punks," Walker growled as he, Bullet, and the ghost guards struggled in the binds.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

"Aiiiggghh!" a young woman screamed as a monster approached her.

Danny, Tucker, and Sam were sitting in the theater chairs, with Danielle sitting on the arm of Danny's seat and Trevor was leaning against the wall. Everyone had pizza in their hands as the horror movie ran on the big screen.

"I never knew you were rich, Sam," said Danielle.

"Yeah, well, it's not like I actually care about the money," Sam shrugged, "But it does have its benefits."

"Had I known you had a home theater here, I wouldn't have left before," Danielle smirked before realizing what she said.

"Speaking of which…" Danny began, "I think it's time you actually stuck around for a while."

"Huh?" Dani exclaimed, "What do you mean?"

"Well, you said it yourself, traveling has gotten stale," Danny explained, "Why not live at the Fenton Works with me and my parents?"

"Well… I dunno…" Danielle sighed.

"At least you won't have to sleep outside or starve yourself," Danny added.

Danielle glanced around, noting the smiles from Tucker and Sam and the nod from Trevor.

"Well?" Danny asked.

"Oh, alright," Danielle smiled, "It would be a nice change in pace for me. And I would get to spend more time with my… cousin…"

"Or big brother?" Danny asked, noticing Danielle's face lowering.

"Really!?" Danielle exclaimed, "You… you don't mind me calling you my big brother?"

"Why not?" Danny laughed, "We already look alike."

"Funny," Danielle said as she tapped her chin, "If you had an older brother, we'd be just like Trevor's family… oops."

Her eyes widened as she slapped her hands over her mouth, hoping no one heard. Unfortunately, everyone slowly turned their attention to Trevor, who looked at Danielle as though he had been stabbed in the back.

"Trevor?" Tucker asked, "What is she-?"

Trevor held up a hand, silencing Tucker and any other possible questions.

"Yes…" he replied, "I had a little sister."

"Had?" Sam asked, "What-?"

"She's dead," Trevor revealed, "Almost four years. Nothing else to talk about. Don't ever ask and please respect my wishes."

A few seconds passed before everyone nodded to Trevor's demands.

"Sorry," Danielle said a few moments later.

"It's… fine," Trevor sighed, "Just… don't bring it up again."

Another scream from the movie got Danielle's attention and everyone went back to focusing on the movie, except Trevor, who reached back and pulled out his photo.

"I won't let you down," he whispered as he glanced at it, "I promise."

He was surprised when he felt a nudge on his arm and saw Sam offering him a slice of meat and a slice of veggie pizza. He put the photo away and took the plate from her.

"Thanks, Sam," he replied with a small smile.

"Don't worry," she told him, "You won't fail."

Sam made her way back to her seat, chuckling as she watched Danny and Tucker argue over who gets that last slice of meat pizza. Danielle reached over and swiped it away without them knowing and took a bite as she sat down in Danny's seat.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

It was late morning in Amity Park; the storm had finally left, leaving the city covered in puddles and fresh greens growing everywhere. In the Fenton Works, an exhausted Jack and Maddie were sitting in the living room, staring at the blank screen in front of them.

"We have to call her eventually," said Jack.

"I know," Maddie sighed before she took a deep breath, "Okay. Let's get this over with."

She reached over dialed Jazz's number, waiting anxiously as the phone rang. The screen blinked to life and Jazz's image appeared on screen.

"Oh, hey," said Jazz, "I was just about to call you guys. Perfect timing."

"Jazz, honey," said Maddie, "There's something we need to tell you."

"One second, mom," said Jazz as she reached under her desk, "Let me just grab my financial documents and we'll get started."

"Actually, that's what your father and I wanted to- wait, what?" Maddie asked.

Jazz held up a couple of documents and laid them out on the desk. She looked at her parents and raised an eyebrow when she saw the perplexed expression on their faces.

"What?" she asked.

"You have your financials!?" Maddie exclaimed.

"Yeah…" Jazz replied, "I've had them with me the whole time. Why?"

"We've been searching all night for the documents here!" Jack exclaimed, "We were certain we lost them!"

"Really? Hmm…" Jazz replied, glancing away and tapping her chin, "Oh, _now _I remember! I forgot to make copies of these documents and leave them with you before I left!"

Jack and Maddie sighed in relief.

"Sorry, that was my bad," Jazz smiled in embarrassment, "I'll make scan them and email you them later. You two must have freaked out over it."

"Oh, that's just silly, Jasmine," Maddie smiled as she turned to her husband, "Your father and I handled it very well. We were worried, of course, but we didn't freak out. Right, Jack?"

Jack was practically pulling his face down with his hands as he groaned in annoyance.

"See?" Maddie asked Jazz, "Perfectly fine."

"Right," Jazz smirked.

On Jazz's end, the sound of a door opening and faint talking occurred, getting Jazz's attention.

"Huh?" she replied, looking offscreen, "Yeah… Right now? Oh, you're right!"

She turned back to her parents with another embarrassed smile.

"Sorry, but I have to go," she told them, "A couple of my classmates are having a review session right now and I don't want to miss it. We'll talk about this later, okay?"

"That's not a problem, Jazz," said Maddie, "You do what you need to do."

"Thanks, mom," said Jazz, "Love you both. Bye!"

As the screen turned off, Jack and Maddie looked at one another for a moment before they burst into laughter. At that moment, Danny and Danielle came in through the front door and wondered what the older Fentons were laughing about.

"Um, mom? Dad?" Danny asked, "Are you two alright?"

Jack and Maddie calmed down and turned to their son.

"Oh, morning, Danny," said Maddie, "Your father and I are fine. Just some silly overreaction."

"Yeah," Jack sighed as he wiped a tear from his eye.

The two Fentons then noticed Danielle stepping from behind Danny.

"Danielle!" they exclaimed as the young half-ghost made her way over to them and gave them a hug, "Welcome back."

"Thanks," she smiled, "It's good to be back."

"How ya doin', kiddo?" Jack asked, "Been seeing places?"

"Uh… you could say that," Danielle replied nervously.

"When did you get back?" Maddie asked.

"Yesterday," Danielle replied as she back up a couple steps, "I hung out with Danny and we spent the night at Sam's."

"I hope her parents weren't too hard on you," said Maddie.

"They weren't," said Danny, "Can't say they were happy that their daughter was friends with _another _Fenton."

"Hey, if you don't mind, I'd like to shower now," said Danielle, "I feel kinda gross."

"Go ahead," said Danny, "I'll talk to my parents about _that_."

"Thanks, Danny," said Danielle, giving him a brief hug before making her way upstairs, "I get the feeling it won't take long."

"Is there something you'd like to talk about?" Jack asked.

"Yeah," Danny replied as he made his way over to his parents, "I was thinking… how would you guys feel about Danielle living with us from now on?"

Danielle walked into the bathroom and closed the door. She leaned against the door as she sighed and her face fell.

"What am I going to do?" she asked herself quietly.

She walked over to the sink and looked herself in the mirror.

"You can't tell them," she told her reflection, "They can't know the truth… yeah, that's what I'll do. I won't tell them. Why complicate things?"

She chuckled to herself before she sighed and hung her head.

"Heh… I do look like a mess. I should get cleaned up."

She took off her beanie and plopped it on the sink counter.

"Hey, Danielle?" Danny asked, knocking on the door as she was about to take her hoodie off, "Everything alright in there?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Danielle replied, "I'm just about to hit the shower."

"Just wanted to let you know that you are officially living here from now on," Danny announced.

Danielle practically barged through the door and tackled Danny into a hug.

"Thank you, Danny!" she exclaimed, "Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"You're more than welcome," Danny laughed, "Little sister."

"You're the best," Danielle smiled, "_Big brother_." **^*****

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

**{Notes}**

*** The Behemoth is the same creature that was guarding the Skeleton Key in the episode "The Million Dollar Ghost".**

**** No, it's not freezing cold, but it's cold enough for their breath to be visible. Ever gone outside in the early cold morning? Same thing can happen when it's raining and it's cold enough.**

***** There is not official name of the anti-ghost weapon, so I just call it the Ecto-Assault Rifle. It's the weapon that Operative K holds in the episode "The Million Dollar Ghost".**

****** There is no official name for Bullet's whip-like weapon seen in the episode "Public Enemies". I'm not even sure what the call it yet. Ecto-whip? *Shrug***

**^ Reference to the episode "Prisoners of Love".**

**^* What do ghosts even eat? More ectoplasm? I dunno.**

**^** Same cell from "Public Enemies".**

**^*** Yup… Butch Hartman's original idea if the series was ever to continue. Of course, in his idea, Jack and Maddie adopt Danielle as their daughter. We haven't gotten that far yet. Or does it happen at all? *Smirk***

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

**I've got to say, this episode was one of my favorite episodes to write. I'm not gonna lie, I had a dream of **_**that **_**scene recurring for a few days as soon as I finished writing it. And yes, Danielle will now have a larger role from now on. Especially since she's got her own secret. What is it?**

… **Don't ask. Don't even guess in the reviews. I MEAN IT!**

**I also want to give a big notice on the story and say that it might not be updated for another month or two from now. I've decided to finally get started on that other fanfic I've been working on and I think now's the perfect time to get into writing it. Don't worry, this story isn't on hiatus, and I will still be writing summaries of each episode, but I want to shift my focus on the other one for a little bit.**

… **Please put the pitchforks and torches away.**

**Like, follow, and please review! And I mean REALLY review. I really want to hear what you guys think of the season so far, and I only have one review as of right now. Until next time!**

**~ThePhantomHedgehog**

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**


	5. Episode 65: Unbreakable Bonds

**Welcome back, phans!**

**I bet you thought I'd forget about this day. Ha! As if! Happy 16****th**** Anniversary, Danny Phantom! And a Happy Anniversary for my Season 3 fic. Whoo!**

**Special thanks to SuchTalesPhantasmic for being the ONLY ONE to review my story since BG224's back in Chapter 1.**

**Ver. 1.0.0 (4/3/20)**

**Standard Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom. I almost did, but then I got a tasered in the back trying to get it. It was quite an experience and I never want to go through it again. I also don't own "The Heretic Anthem". Okay, let's begin the episode.**

**TRIGGER WARNING: Scene involving excessive blood/ectoplasm. Viewer discretion is advised. Warning will be alerted prior to scene. If you complain or I get some bullshit notice, there will be hell to pay. And it will come out of your pocket.**

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

In the forest, just outside of Amity Park, Danny, Danielle, and Trevor were standing in the middle of a clearing, all preparing for training.

"Alright," said Trevor as he walked away from them, "You two ready?"

White rings appeared around Danny and Danielle as they went ghost.

"We're ready," they smirked.

"Fair warning," said Trevor as blue rings traveled up and down his body, "No holding back. I won't, so neither should you."

The two Phantoms held out their glowing green hands and aimed them at Specter.

"What's the point in training if we don't push ourselves?" Dani smirked.

"Then it's not training, is it?" Logan replied before he spun around and waved his glowing blue hand towards them.

Danny glanced over and saw a large stump flying towards him and Dani. He fired a powerful ghost ray at it and the dead wood shattered into splinters and woodchips. Dani took her eyes off Specter for a brief moment and the halfa took the opportunity to blink up to her and punch her in the face.

***POW***

Dani was knocked back a few feet and she tumbled a couple times before she regained her footing and skidded to a stop. Danny turned his head and aimed his hand directly at Logan's head. As soon as he fired the ghost ray, the younger halfa blinked away and the attack blasted a bush away.

"Watch your back!" Dani taunted as she flew behind Logan.

He looked over his shoulder and fired a few ghost rays at her as she closed in on him. Dani spun around and kicked her glowing feet through the air a few times, unleashing waves of ecto-energy at Specter. He leapt around and ducked under the projectiles, avoiding any hits. He glanced back up in the air, but Dani had vanished from sight.

"Very clever, Danielle," Specter smirked before his eyes turned blue, "but I'm no spring chicken."

His eyes darted around the area until he saw a green aura flying underground.

"Found you," said Logan.

***WHAM***

Danny dashed in and punched Logan across the face, sending him flying through the air. Dani emerged from the ground and fired a ghost ray out of her hands, hitting Specter in the chest. The force of the blast threw him up and he came crashing back down into the ground on his back.

"Ow," he groaned.

His eyes shot towards Danny just as he fired a ghost ray at him. Specter quickly turned intangible and phased into the ground.

"Where'd he go?" Dani asked as she landed back to back with her 'brother'.

"I don't know," Danny replied, "Keep your eyes open."

"It's not a matter of what you should be _looking _for," said Specter as he shot out of the ground between the two half-ghosts.

The two Phantoms turned and gasped as Specter grabbed them by the throat and choke-slammed them into the ground.

"OOOF!" they grunted before glaring into Specter's eyes.

"It's a matter of using all your senses," he explained, pinning the two to the ground, "Take advantage of your surroundings and not rely solely on your eyes and ears."

"Oh, yeah?" Danny smirked, "Well, I've got a lesson for you."

"Really?" Logan asked, raising an eyebrow, "And what might that be?"

"Never hold me down, face to face," Danny replied.

Specter's eyes widened, but before he could escape, Danny unleashed his Ghostly Wail.

***Whoo-oo-OO-OO-OO-oo-oo-oo-OO-OO-OO-oo-oo-oo-OO-OO-OO~***

Specter held his ground for a few moments until the force of the attack overwhelmed him. He lost his grip on the Phantoms' throats and was sent flying through the air until his back slammed into a large tree on the opposite end of the clearing. Danny ceased his attack and got back to his feet while Specter fell to the ground.

"Good thinking, Danny," Dani told him as he helped her to her feet.

"I'm actually impressed as well," said Specter as he got back to his feet, "Nice to see that you've gotten better with not burning yourself out with your Ghostly Wail."

He blinked over and joined the others. The moment he was in range, Dani threw her fist into Logan's face, knocking back to the ground.

"Ow…" he groaned, rubbing his bleeding nose as he sat up, "Was that for the punch in the face earlier?"

"Didn't your mother ever teach you how to treat a lady?" Dani smirked, crossing her arms.

"Well, given that I've lived with three of them for most of my life, I'd like to think so," Specter replied as he got back up, "However… given that we are _training_ to fight an indiscriminating murderer, you'll have to expect _anything_. Like… this."

Using his telekinesis, Specter threw a bunch of dirt into the air, causing dust clouds to appear and get debris in Dani's eyes.

"Hey!" she exclaimed as she rubbed her eyes, "That's cheating!"

Logan grabbed her hand and turned it and her body intangible, allowing the dirt to leave her eyes. Dani blinked a couple of times before turning to Logan as he turned her tangible again.

"Where I'm from, all's fair in war," he told her, "We fight using anything and everything at our disposal to survive. What makes you think your opponent's gender determines the way you fight? You think I'm gonna be nicer the way I fight Ember or Spectra compared to Technus or the Box Ghost?"

"I guess not," said Dani as she glanced down at her hand, "Can you let go of me now?"

Specter's eyes shift to the hand that was still in his and he quickly released it.

"Uh, sorry," he said, looking away as he blushed, making Danny smirk at his discomfort.

"So, what's next?" Dani asked as she punched and kicked the air, "Target practice? Sparring? Endurance test?"

"Actually, I was thinking of trying something new," Specter replied as he held out his right hand.

Nearby, leaning against a tree, the Ethereal Shield was surrounded in a blue aura and shot forward towards Specter. It landed in his hand and he briefly examined it.

"Let's see how strong this shield is," Specter smirked, "Ready for round two?"

"Always," said Danny as his hands and Dani's began to glow green.

***Cue Intro***

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

**Danny Phantom in: Unbreakable Bonds (Episode 65)**

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

As the sun drew closer to the horizon, a young adult was lifting dumbbells at a gym in Amity Park. He had some muscle tone, but he wasn't as bulky as most other gym goers. His arms strained and sweat was pouring down his face. His arm fell and he gasped for air as the weight laid on the bench next to him.

"This is dumb," he muttered, "I've been coming her for six months now and I've barely gotten stronger or bigger."

He grabbed the towel the was lying next to him and wrapped it around the back of his neck as he got up and went for the changing room. A minute later, he came out and stormed out of the gym.

"Waste of money and time," he grumbled as he walked past a dark alleyway, "All this just to impress some girl. I wish I was the biggest and the strongest human in the world."

A pair of red eyes appeared from the shadows of the alley before they floated into the light, revealing the genie-ghost as she eyed the young man.

"So you have wished it, so shall it be," Desiree smiled as she waved her hand around over her head.

Green sparkles trailed her hand as a large wisp of magical green ecto-energy danced towards the wish maker. The man continued walking down the sidewalk until the energy floated around him.

"Huh!?" he exclaimed as his body was surrounded in Desiree's ecto-energy.

He began to shake as his wish became reality; his arms and legs slowly began to grow, followed by his eyes turning red. Up above, Danny, Dani, and Logan were flying over the city, heading back to the Fenton Works as the day was coming to a close.

"How's your arm, Logan?" Danny asked over his shoulder.

"It's fine," Specter replied, "The shield holds up pretty well."

"Don't you have the Deadshot though?" Dani asked, "Why use a shield?"

"Reaper's scythes," said Logan.

"Oh."

"Even then, I won't know if they will be of any use until I face him again," Logan continued, "For all I know, he might cut through it as though it was wet tissue paper."

"Hope that doesn't happen," said Danny.

Suddenly, the two Phantoms gasped and a blue mist escaped their mouths.

"Specter…" said Danny.

"Yeah, I see it," he replied as his blue eyes stared down below, "And it's a big one."

Down below, a hulking ghost with burning red eyes and slightly tattered shorts stomped around the streets, flexing his muscles.

"Look at me!" he shouted, "I'm _amazing_! I have become the strongest man in the world!"

People turned and ran away screaming as the ghost walked over to a school bus and lifted it up by one hand with ease.

"Look at what I can do!" he exclaimed, "Look at how impressive I am!"

Behind him, the three heroes floated down and hovered inches above the ground.

"He doesn't appear to be a threat," said Dani, "He just wants to show off."

Specter's eyes remained blue as he squinted at the ghost.

"Something's strange about this one," he muttered, "I can't put my finger on it, but I feel like I've experienced something like this before."

"What should we do?" Dani asked.

"Leave him to me," said Danny, "I'll see what he's doing and send him somewhere else."

Phantom flew over and revealed himself in front of the ghost.

"Uh, hi," Danny waved.

"Hey there," the ghost replied as he dropped the bus to the ground with a heave thud.

"Look, not to sound rude, but you seem to be scaring everyone away," said Danny, "Mind telling me what you're doing?"

"I'm just walking around and showing off my _sweet _body," the ghost smirked, flexing his arms, "Got my guns right here."

"That's, uh… nice, dude," said Danny, "Why don't you go somewhere else and compare muscles with other weightlifters?"

"Compare my body to those weaklings!?" the ghost laughed, "What's the point when I'm the strongest man alive!?"

"Uh, dude?" Danny asked, raising an eyebrow, "You're a ghost."

"I'm a human, shrimp!" the ghost exclaimed, slightly irritated with what Danny told him.

"Have you looked in the mirror lately?" Danny asked, "You're green and radiating ecto-energy. You're a ghost."

"Are you saying I'm invisible!?" the ghost exclaimed, "You think you and everyone else can ignore me!?"

"What are you talking about?" Danny asked, "All I'm say is-"

***WUMP***

The ghost punched Danny in the face and sent him crashing into a clothing store.

"Danny!" Dani exclaimed.

"Phantom!" Specter exclaimed, his eyes back to their neon green color.

The two flew in front of the ghost and landed before him.

"What's your beef, muscles!?" Dani shouted, "Lost looking for Muscle Beach!?"

"More likely he got that buff using steroids," said Logan.

The ghost's red eyes began to glow in anger, and he unleashed a loud scream before reaching over and picking up a car in each hand.

"You do realize that gravity has no effect on ghosts unless we're stunned, right?" Specter asked, "We can literally pick up a 100-car freight train and not break a sweat."

"Wait, we can do that?" Dani asked.

"I dunno," Specter shrugged, "I just wanna see why this guy thinks he's the strongest person in the world."

"Because…" the ghost explained as he lifted the cars over his head, "I made a wish and it was granted."

Dani's and Logan's eyes widened as the spun their heads toward the ghost.

"Wait, you did _WHAT_!?" Specter exclaimed.

"HRAAAAAA!" the ghost shouted as he heaved the cars at the young half-ghosts.

Dani instinctually went intangible as Specter held out his hands and telekinetically grabbed one of the cars, halting it midair. The second car was too much strain on him and he wasn't able to grab it as well.

"I got it!"

A green glow surrounded the second car as it stopped in place as well.

"Huh?" said Dani as she turned to see her male counterpart floating out of the clothing store's broken window, holding his hands up, "Danny! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he answered as he and Specter reoriented the vehicles before putting them back down on the street, "And now the owners of these cars won't have their insurances go up."

"_HEY_!" the ghost shouted as veins started bulging through his skin, "Pay attention to me! I'm not some useless slab of meat for you to just ignore! I'm a person too!"

"High blood pressure, short temper, excessive muscle density," Specter listed out, "If I didn't know better, I would _definitely _say this guy is juicing."

"Specter, can we _not _upset this guy and try and deal with this situation with ease?" Danny asked.

"I think that went out the window the moment he threw you into the store," Specter pointed out before his eyes turned blue again, "You two keep him busy while I go and search for a certain ghost genie."

Peaking around the corner from the alley, Desiree watched the event unfold before her as Specter began scanning the area. It didn't take long before his eyes locked on to her. She let out a gasp when Specter blinked in front of her and glared at her.

"Found you," he muttered.

Danny and Danielle turned their attention back to the bulky ghost and prepared for him to make the first move.

"RrrraaaaAAAAHHHH!" the ghost shouted as he charged them at inhuman speeds.

"Whoa!" the two Phantoms exclaimed as they jerked aside, barely avoiding getting rammed.

The ghost barreled his way through the wall of a local market, leaving a bit a destruction behind.

"Jeez, people actually act like this when using steroids?" Dani asked as she and Danny floated toward each other.

"I think that whole 'roid rage' thing is a myth," Danny clarified, "I hope… Come on, let's try and get him away from the people and keep him in place long enough for Specter to deal with Desiree."

"How about I just beat you two up instead?"

"Huh!?" Danny and Dani exclaimed as they looked down.

***BAM***

The ghost erupted from the ground and became tangible just before smacking the half-ghosts away with a back hand, causing Danny to slam into the wall across the street and Dani to tumble along the road.

"OOOFFF!"

"Uuuggghh…"

Danny glared at the ghost and floated back into the air.

"Alright, _now _I'm getting angry," he said as his hands began to glow green.

Danny fired a barrage of ghost rays at the ghost, peppering him from the front.

"Grrr…" the ghost growled as he shielded himself behind his arms, "You call that an attack? This is nothing but a tickle!"

"Try this one on for size!"

"Huh?" the ghost muttered as he looked over his shoulder to see Dani flying towards him, ready to punch him.

Unfortunately, Dani gave herself away too soon and the ghost reached out with one of his hands, grabbed her by the wrist as she threw her punch, and launched her at Danny, propelling Dani with her own momentum.

"Danny!" she shouted, "Tag team!"

"Got it!" Danny replied and flew towards her.

The two reached out a hand to each other just before passing one another and grabbed on. Danny spun Dani around him and launched her back at the ghost before rocketing behind her.

"Keep your eye on the birdie!" Dani smirked.

"You think I don't see you coming?" the ghost laughed, "I'll just toss you away again!"

Dani held her arms out in front of her and fired a powerful ghost ray at the ghost. Again, the ghost blocked it with his arms held up as he kept his eye on her. At first it appeared that Dani intended on trying to punch him again. But just before the ghost was about to go for the grab, Dani pulled up and flew over the ghost. He kept watching her, unaware that the older halfa was flying right behind her.

***POW***

Danny punched the ghost across the jaw, staggering him back a few feet.

"Nice hit," said Dani as she and Danny stopped and floated in the air.

"Yeah, but it'll take more than a punch to stop him," Danny frowned as he looked over at the ghost.

The enemy glared at the two half-ghosts before glancing over and pulling a streetlight from the ground.

"Uh oh," Danny moaned.

"Batter up," the ghost grinned as he readied the streetlamp like a bat.

The two Phantoms quickly turned intangible just as the ghost began to swing the weapon towards them. It passed right through them, but it also made a huge impression into a bus parked on the side.

"What do we do now?" Dani asked as the ghost pulled it out from the warped metal.

"Distract him with a few ghost rays," Danny told her as they became tangible again, "I'll get in close and try to get that streetlight out of his hands before he causes anymore damage."

Dani nodded and flew up a few feet above the ghost and began firing a few ghost rays around him while Danny turned invisible and flew around to get behind the ghost.

"You're irritating to no end!" the ghost shouted at Dani as she continued distracting him.

His eyes began to glow, and a pair of ghost rays shot towards Dani. She gasped as she quickly dodged them, watching them disappear into the distance. Danny then shot forward with a glowing green fist ready to punch the ghost but didn't realize that his reflection was coming off the window from the building between him and the ghost. The ghost saw the sneak attack and spun around with the streetlight out.

***WHAM***

Danny was sent flying through the air before he skidded across the street on his back. A faint trail of ectoplasm followed him as soon as he hit the asphalt.

"Danny!" his little 'sister' cried out as she flew down towards him.

She knelt down beside him and helped him sit up.

"Are you okay!?" she exclaimed before gasping, "Your back is bleeding!"

"Ah… I'm fine," Danny replied.

"Not for long," the ghost chuckled as his shadow loomed over the two, getting their attention, "Time for some more punishment."

"Not happenin', pal!"

Everyone turned to where the voice came from and saw Specter holding a Fenton Thermos in his hands and a downed Desiree on the ground.

"I wish you would turn this man back to the way he was before he made his wish and I wish for you to go into the Thermos," Specter told Desiree.

"Oh, shoot," Desiree muttered as her hands began to move on their own, granting Specter's wish.

A strange green mist appeared around the ghost, causing him to be alarmed.

"Hey!" he exclaimed, "What's going on!?"

"You've caused enough trouble today," said Specter as he fired the Thermos, "Get over yourself."

The ghost disappeared inside the magical cloud as Desiree was pulled inside the Fenton Thermos.

"Nnoooooooooo!" she shouted as Specter slapped the cap on, "I will return! People will get what they desire!"

"Careful," said Specter, "Last thing we need is for you to give Reaper the advantage."

"No! I'm getting… _weaker_!" the ghost exclaimed as his silhouette began to shrink and morph back into that of a man, "I don't want to be weak! I hate being weak! I'm the strongest person in the world!"

The mist vanished, revealing the young man in only his slightly shredded shorts.

"There, back to normal," Danny smiled.

"NO!" the man bellowed, "I had finally achieved my dream! I was the strongest man in the world."

"Yeah, _man_," said Specter, "Doesn't really mean anything when you're a ghost."

"I… what?"

"Uh, you turned into a ghost," Dani explained, "You were green and had ghost powers."

"Oh…" the man moaned, looking around and seeing the damage he had done, "Oh, what have I done?"

"I wasn't entirely your fault," Danny explained, "You wish was granted by a genie ghost, but she likes to twist the way the wish was made."

"You don't need to feel guilty about it," said Specter, "You should get out of here. Might give people the wrong idea with you just wearing shorts in the middle of the city."

"My clothes!" the man exclaimed, "I need to get home!"

He ran off panting, leaving the two Phantoms watching with slight confusion.

"Weird way to react when someone says you became a ghost," said Dani.

"Well, at least everyone's safe," Danny smiled before he groaned in pain and flinched.

"You okay, Phantom?" Specter asked, slightly annoyed.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," Danny replied.

"You've stopped bleeding," Dani told him.

Specter walked over to check Phantom's back and saw that the wounds had already begun to close, although his suit was still slightly damaged.

"Healing factor sure does wonders for us," Danny smiled.

"Yeah," Specter scoffed, "I'd rather avoid _any_ injuries, thank you very much."

"Hey, it's not like was _trying _to get hurt," Danny responded, getting irritated.

"Wasn't saying you were," said Logan, "But don't take your fast healing for granted. Not everyone can heal as fast or well as you can. Just be glad this isn't the worst injury you could have gotten."

"I've had worse," said Danny, "And hopefully you won't have to experience pain like I have."

Specter's eyes turned blue and ecto-flames began to flicker from his right eye as he glared at Danny.

"That's a dangerous thing to assume, Phantom," he growled, "You think you know pain? I guarantee you that no matter what you've gone through, it's a papercut compared to what I've gone through."

"I find that very hard to believe," Danny replied.

"Can we not fight, please?" Dani asked nervously as she stood between the two, "It doesn't matter who's gone through more pain, can we just move on."

"Whatever," Logan scoffed as he rubbed his left shoulder, "I'm heading back to Manson's. You can send Desiree back to the Ghost Zone yourself."

He tossed Danny the Fenton Thermos and turned around as Phantom caught it.

"I'll meet up with you when I find something on the Orbs," he said before he took off into the air and flew away.

Dani looked worriedly over to Danny and saw him frowning as he prepared to fly off the opposite direction.

"Danny?" she asked.

"Come on, let's go home," he told her, "I'm not in the mood to argue."

"… Okay," Dani sighed and followed her 'brother' home.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

The next day, Danny was walking with Tucker and Sam to school, telling them about what had happened the day before.

"I don't get why Trevor was so worked up over me getting injured," said Danny.

"I think it was more about the fact you assumed he doesn't know what pain is like than the fact you got hurt," said Tucker.

"Well, how much pain could he have ever gone through?" Danny asked, earning him a look from Tucker and Sam, "What?"

"Remember when you got your powers?" Sam asked, frowning at her boyfriend.

"Yeah, not a fun memory," Danny sighed, "But we don't even know how Trevor got his powers."

"Regardless, I think you're both being childish," said Sam.

"Hey, look over there," Tucker interjected, pointing over towards the front of Casper High.

Danny and Sam looked over and saw Valerie slowly making her way over to the school entrance. She looked exhausted and she appeared to have bags under her eyes. She stretched out her arms and yawned as she made her way up the steps.

"Looks like Valerie's still taking late night shifts hunting ghosts," said Tucker.

"She's also got her father to worry about now that Vlad knows his secret is known to her," Sam added.

"She could use some help," said Danny, "Come on, let's catch up with her and talk to her."

The three teens hurried up the steps and entered the halls. They glanced around but didn't see Valerie anywhere.

"She must already be in class," said Tucker, "We'll try talking to her another time."

Just down the hall and around the corner, Valerie continued walking as she rubbed her sleepy eyes. She didn't notice that she had walked by a group of A-listers.

"Hey, isn't that Valerie?" Kwan asked the others as he thumbed over his shoulder.

"What's with her?" Paulina asked, "I thought her father was rich again. If she's not working anymore, why is she so pale?"

"Maybe she just had a bad night and couldn't sleep," Star suggested, "Oh, I know what we should do! We should let her back in the A-listers."

"That's not a bad idea," said Dash, "Let's talk to her later and see what she thinks. Besides, better than hanging out with the losers."

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

A few miles away, Dani Phantom was flying through the air, heading for the Manson residence.

"I hope Trevor doesn't mind if I ask for some extra training," she said to herself.

Sam's house came into view a couple seconds later and Dani began to descend. She landed in front of Sam's greenhouse and took a moment to look around to make sure she was alone before she reverted back to human form.

"That's a lot of plants in there," said Danielle as she peered inside the greenhouse before walking away, "Never would have thought Sam had green thumbs."

As she approached the backdoor, her ghost sense went off and her head whipped around as she searched for the ghost. The door opened, causing her to jump.

"Oh, Dust, it's just you," Danielle sighed, putting a hand over her chest.

"You okay?" Dust asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I'm fine," said Danielle as she entered, "You just made my ghost sense go off. Is Trevor here?"

"Yeah," Dust replied as she morphed into her raven form, "He's in the guest room. He's, uh… not in the greatest of moods."

"He still irritated about yesterday?" Danielle asked as Dust flew into the other room.

"You hear that?" Dust asked over her shoulder.

_If you're 555, then I'm 666_

_If you're 555, I'm 666_

"Yeah? Why?" Danielle asked as they went upstairs.

_If you're 555, then I'm 666_

_(What's it like to be a heretic?)_

"The only reason he plays this song is when he's angry," Dust explained.

"Plays?" Danielle asked as she opened the door.

_If you're 555, I'm 666_

_(What's it like to be a heretic?)_

She was surprised to see Trevor playing on a set of holographic drums. The music was so loud that she had to cover her ears and hold her beanie in place while the vibrations in the air blew her hair back.

_Yeah!_

_Heretic!_

_Yeah!_

Trevor's hands and legs went nuts on the drum set as Danielle fought her way inside.

"Trevor!" she shouted, but her voice was a mere whimper compared to the music.

_Thirty seconds, sixteen, eight, four, lemme tell you why_

_I haven't the slightest, I'm teaching your brightest_

"Trevor!" Danielle shouted again before tapping his shoulder.

"Huh?" Trevor exclaimed as he stopped playing and looked over his shoulder.

_They're listening, clamoring_

_All the money in the world can't-_

Realizing that Danielle was there, Trevor pressed a button on one of the drumsticks, stopping the song and removing the drums from sight.

"What?" he asked, slightly irritated.

"Sorry," Danielle apologized as she readjusted her beanie, "Danny told me you played drums, but I never knew you played _that _well."

"Why are you here?" Trevor asked as he folded his drumsticks and put them in his pocket.

"I was wondering… would you like to train with me right now?" Danielle asked.

"Oh?" Trevor asked over his shoulder as he got up from his seat and turned around, "Is this your way of trying to get me in a better mood or are you genuinely worried about being unprepared for Reaper?"

"… Both?" Danielle shrugged with a nervous smile, "Unless you've got something more important to do…?"

Trevor took a deep breath and sighed.

"She does bring up a good point, Trevor," said Dust as she landed on the bed and ruffled her feathers.

She glanced over to the desk and saw the laptop open with a bunch of windows open, each with research results of the Orbs of Power.

"I can handle the researching for a few hours on my own," she pointed out, "You and Danielle can spend some _quality time_ together."

Trevor gave her side-eye while Danielle raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Quality time?" she asked.

"Training, of course," Dust replied innocently, "There's nothing wrong with that. Right, Trevor?"

A blue ring appeared around Trevor's waist.

"Come on, Danielle," he said to her, "Let's head outside."

"Are you okay?" Danielle asked, "If you don't want to, we can do it another time. I know you're still a bit irritated about what Danny did yesterday."

"No, no, it's fine," Dust interjected, "Go on, it'll be good for his health."

"_Dust…"_ Specter growled telepathically, _"Shut up."_

He turned around and floated toward the wall. He turned intangible and phased through it. Danielle was still confused but shrugged it off before going ghost and following Specter outside. Dust chuckled to herself as she floated over to the desk and morphed into her normal form.

"He's so easy," she smirked to herself.

"Oh, am I?" Specter asked into her ear as he made himself visible behind her.

Dust's eyes widened and she gulped nervously.

"You will not entice my feelings again, understand?" Specter ordered, "Otherwise, I will force you back into the medallion after plucking all your feathers out, one by one. Got it?"

"You have no power over me," Dust smiled without turning away from the screen.

"Logan?" Dani called out, poking her intangible head through the wall.

"Coming," he replied and went off to train with Dani.

Once outside, Logan and Dani floated high above the Manson residence and looked around.

"I think this will be fine," he announced, "As long as we don't damage anything below, I doubt Sam's parents will throw me out."

Dani raised an eyebrow, which Specter noticed when he turned to face her.

"What, Dani?" he asked.

"Since when did you start referring to us by our first names?"

"If I answer that question, will I be presented with Reaper captured in a Fenton Thermos and my brother unharmed, all on a silver platter?"

"Uh-"

"In other words, what does it matter?" Logan asked, "Now… what do you want to do today?"

"Hand-to-hand combat," Dani replied, "Since you mentioned avoiding causing damage, better to try something that won't destroy homes."

"… Honestly, using your fists against Reaper is not something I'd recommend…"

"But if I have no choice?" Dani asked, "I must be prepared for anything, right?"

"Heh," Specter smirked, "Alright."

The two halfas floated away from each other a couple of feet and readied themselves to fight. Logan's began to glow blue and he rocketed towards Dani.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

At the Fenton Works, Jack and Maddie made their way downstairs to the Fenton Works' Lab, with Jack holding a Fenton Thermos in his hands.

"Phew," he sighed, wiping his forehead, "That ghost sure gave us a fight."

"I can see why Danny had trouble with him before," Maddie sighed, "No wonder all the electronic stores have been missing inventory and have been damaged in the past year."

"Well, now there's only one thing to do now," said Jack as he approached the Fenton Ghost Portal, "Send this ectoplasmic scum back to where he came from."

"Ectoplasmic scum!?" Technus exclaimed from within the Thermos, "I am Technus, you oversized buffoon!"

"Blah, blah, blah," said Jack as he opened the Portal, "Empty words from an evil ghost."

"I will return!" Technus exclaimed as Jack fired the Thermos into the Portal, "You hear me!? I WILL RETUUUUuuuuurrrrnnnn…!"

"And that is how Jack Fenton deals with mouthy ghosts," he smirked.

"My hero," Maddie smiled, giving Jack a gently pat on the cheek, "Now, where were we before we were interrupted by that ghost sighting?"

"I believe we were working on additions to the Ecto-Skeleton," said Jack, "What exactly, I do not know…"

While the Fentons were discussing their latest project, they didn't notice an ectopus that was nearly ten times larger than normal squeezing its way through the Portal and entering the lab. It quickly noticed the ghost hunters and quickly turned intangible before phasing through the ceiling.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Jack exclaimed as he turned his attention to the Ghost Portal controls, "I better close the Ghost Portal before trouble escapes into our world."

He pushed his thumb against the scanner and the Fenton Ghost Portal doors closed.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Noon had arrived and Team Phantom was sitting in the cafeteria, having lunch. Danny and Tucker began gorging away at their Sloppy Joes burgers while Sam was eating a salad she brought with her.

"Ugh," Sam groaned, "You are _definitely _not getting a kiss goodnight from me later."

"What? Even if I brush my teeth?" Danny asked with his mouth full.

"You'll need a tanker's worth of toothpaste and mouthwash to clean that mouth of yours," said Sam as she took a bite of her salad.

"Have you ever considered eating meat in a life or death situation?" Tucker asked before taking a large bite out of his burger.

"Remember the first time Danny fought the Lunch Lady Ghost?" Sam asked, "What do you think?"

"Shame," Tucker sighed, "More pork Sloppy Joes for me!"

"Uh, Tucker? You do realize that Sam can't eat pork, even if she did eat meat, right?" Danny asked.

"Oh. Right. Sorry, Sam."

"Hey, as long as it's not an animal and it's edible, I'll eat it," Sam smiled.

The three silently ate their lunch for a few moments before Danny spoke up again.

"Hey, Sam?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think Trevor…"

"Like I said before, Danny," said Sam, "I think both you and Trevor were acting childish."

"I guess you're right," Danny sighed, "I should apologize to him later."

"Yeah, _much _later," said Sam, "I walked by his room this morning and he was in a very bad mood."

"He said something to you?" Tucker asked.

"No," Sam replied as she took another bite of her salad, "but the choice of songs he played on the drums was a good sign that he was mad."

"That bad?" Danny asked.

"Songs? No, they're great," Sam smirked, "His mood? Understatement."

Danny groaned in displeasure.

"If you want, I could try and talk to him later," Sam offered, "He's not doing anything today, as long as nothing comes up."

"Thanks, Sam," Danny smiled.

Over by the cafeteria serving line, Valerie grabbed her tray of food and made her way over to the tables. She distanced herself from the A-listers' table and looked for a place to sit. Her eyes stopped at Danny, Tucker, and Sam, stopping her dead in her tracks. She glanced away as she remembered all the things she tried to do to Danny before learning his secret. A moment later, Danny and Tucker saw her standing alone and waved at her. Sam turned around and joined them. Although their smiles were welcoming enough, Valerie hung her head and walked over an empty table, away from everyone.

"Man, she's still upset with herself about before," said Tucker as Valerie sat down.

"It's been over a month and ever since we got back to school, she's been walling herself away from everyone. I figured she'd have joined us by now," Danny sighed.

"Some things take longer to get over than others, Danny," said Sam, "It's not like we can force her to join us."

"No," said Danny before a smile appeared on his face, "but we _can _help her in another way."

"You mean have her join our friend group instead of our ghost hunting group?" Tucker smirked.

"Great minds think alike, Tucker," Danny replied as the two high fived each other.

"Come on, you dorks," said Sam as she stood up and picked up her food, "Let's give her some much needed company."

Valerie sighed as she rested her head on her hand while poking her finger at the burger bun.

"Are you gonna eat it or take it home and give it a name?" Danny quipped as he sat down across from her.

"Uh, Danny!" Valerie exclaimed in surprise.

"Hey, we're here too, ya know," Tucker laughed as he sat down next to her and Sam next to Danny.

"Oh… hey, guys," said Valerie, feeling slightly uncomfortable, "Why are you guys…?"

"We've noticed how lonely you've been lately and figured to give you some company," Sam explained.

"That's nice of you guys to worry, but-"

"Valerie," Danny interrupted, "It's okay. Really."

"For _you_," said Valerie, "I'm still getting over the fact that you're… you know, Phantom."

Danny turned to Tucker for help, and he nodded.

"Valerie, why don't you hang out with us after school today?" Tucker suggested.

"Huh? Really?" Valerie asked, "I'm not sure it would be a good idea for me to go hunting ghosts with you."

"Who said anything about hunting ghosts?" Danny asked, "We're just asking a friend if they'd like to hang out with us."

"I don't know," Valerie sighed.

"Valerie," said Danny, "I promise, no ghost hunting. We'll just hang out at the Nasty Burger after school and talk."

"Care to put money on that, Danny?" Sam smirked, raising an eyebrow.

"About what?" Valerie asked.

"Anything," said Tucker, "School, life, anything you want."

"Well… I guess it would be okay," said Valerie, "We haven't even talked in a while."

"Hate to say it, but I won't be there," said Sam, "I need to have a… _talk_… with someone…"

Valerie raised an eyebrow, wondering why Sam said it like that.

"So, what do you think, Valerie?" Tucker asked, "Got some free time later?"

"Sure," she replied, "I can't keep feeling guilty and wall myself off forever."

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

"Ha!" Dani exclaimed as she threw her fists at Specter.

The two were training high in the air. He held his arms out in front of him, blocking each blow as they came. Dani then spun around and swung her heel out to perform a spin kick. Logan quickly descended out of the way and threw an uppercut at Dani. She quickly drifted aside, barely dodging the attack before Specter went full offensive. His fists began to spark with blue electricity as Dani avoided every punch thrown at her.

"You're getting better at dodging," Specter noted, "Keep this up and you might be as fast as your _brother_."

Dani grabbed his fists and the two were stuck in a stalemate. As they strained to overpower the other, Phantom reared her head back and then slammed her forehead against Specter's.

***BAM***

"Owwww…" Dani groaned as she released Logan's hands and floated back a couple feet, gripping her head in pain.

"Yeah, don't do that," Logan deadpanned, unfazed by the attack, "It's a lot harder to perform correctly than you think."

"I can tell," Dani muttered, still wincing in pain.

"You okay? We can take a break for a few minutes and wait until the pain goes away."

Dani glanced over to Logan and was about to answer when she gasped and her ghost sense went off.

"Oh, why now?" she complained as she and Specter glanced around for the ghost.

"Over there!" Logan exclaimed, pointing down below.

Dani looked over and saw a giant ectopus chasing after scared civilians.

"That's one giant squid."

"Ectopus," Logan corrected, "And, yeah, that thing is huge."

The ectopus grabbed a couple of people with its tentacles and lifted them into the air. It flew up into the air and held the two captives in front of it.

"Let me go!" they exclaimed.

A creepy smile appeared on the ghost's face and it let them go.

"No, wait, not like THIIIIIIIIIIIIiiiiiiiissssss!" they screamed moments before they began to fall.

Two black and white blurs shot through the air and caught the screaming individuals.

"Don't worry," said Specter.

"We've got you," Dani added as they reached the ground.

The two half-ghosts put them back on their feet and watched them run to safety.

"You up to fight it?" Logan asked as he and Dani turned their attention back to the ectopus, "I can take care of it by myself."

"A headache's not gonna stop me," Dani smirked, "Let's go."

The two flew back up towards the ectopus and prepared to fire ghost rays at the ghost. The ectopus glared at them and inked at them with ectoplasm.

"Whoa!" they exclaimed as the ectoplasm flew between them.

"Careful," Specter warned, "That stuff is like tar; it'll take forever to get that stuff off most things."

"Good thing we have intangibility," Dani smiled as she and Specter started firing ghost rays.

"Uh, that doesn't work with this stuff."

"Really?" Dani asked.

The ecto-energy pummeled the ectopus for a few moments before it turned intangible and flew towards them. As the ghost rays phased through it, the ectopus made a pair of its tentacles tangible again and grabbed Dani and Logan.

"Urgh!"

"Urk!" Dani exclaimed, "H-hey… I can't turn intangible!"

"Me neither!"

The ectopus turned the rest of its body tangible and pulled them close to its face.

"Uh, sorry?" Dani smiled nervously.

The ectopus' red eyes glared at them.

"Oh, no," Dani groaned.

The ghost lifted the two over its head and then threw them down towards the ground. Specter and Phantom couldn't recover in time and gasped when they saw that they were heading straight for the side of Sam's house. They shut their eyes and instinctually turned intangible at the last second, phasing through the wall. Specter managed to regain control of his flight and grabbed Dani's hand, stopping them both in the middle of the room.

"Phew," Dani sighed, "Any later and Sam's parents would have put restraining orders on us."

"I think I would have been more worried about what _Sam _would do to us," Logan said as they turned tangible and he let go of her hand.

Dani looked around and realized they were in Sam's room.

"Oh, yeah… wow," she chuckled, "That would have been _bad_."

An eerie growl got their attention and they watched the ectopus slide the window open and squeeze its body into the room.

"Why didn't it just go intangible?" Dani asked.

"I don't know," Logan shrugged, "Another important question, I fear, that may never be answered."

The ghost launched its tentacles at the pair and Dani and Logan responded with a barraged of ghost rays. Unfortunately, they did nothing against the tentacles as one grabbed Dani by the leg and another grabbed Specter by the throat.

"Oh, not ag-AAAAIIIINNN!" Dani shrieked as she and Specter were lifted from the ground.

"This is actually getting really irritating," Specter growled.

The ectopus glared at the two halfas and growled in their faces.

"Jeez, get a breath mint," Dani grimaced before she held her hands out and an orb of green ecto-energy formed between her palms.

A moment later, she released a power ghost ray at the ectopus, hitting it directly in its left eye, causing it to roar in pain.

"Yeah, that's right!" Dani shouted, "How does that feel!?"

The ectopus glared at her with its good eye for a moment before it swung her around and slammed her into the ground.

"OOF!" she exclaimed.

"Dani!" Specter shouted.

The ectopus lifted her up and then slammed her into the ceiling.

"Hey!" Specter exclaimed, "Put her down and leave her alone!"

The ectopus grinned and threw Dani across the room, slamming her face first into the wall. Her body slowly slid down the wall as she lost consciousness and landed flat on her back. A white ring appeared around her waist and she reverted back to human form. Logan's eyes were wide and his mouth hung open. He turned his head back at the ectopus and his eyes began to burn blue.

"Alright… _now _I'm pissed," he growled and grabbed the tentacle that was wrapped around his neck.

The ectopus looked confused, wondering what its prey was planning. Blue arcs appeared all over Specter's body for a moment before he unleashed a surge of electricity out of his body, electrocuting the ectopus. The ghost cried out in pain and released the half-ghost, causing him to land on his back. The ghost screamed in pain for a couple moments longer before it inked the entire room with ectoplasm, including Danielle and Specter. As he sat up, Logan wiped his face and watched the ectopus squeeze through the window and fly away.

"Oh, no, you don't," he growled as he swiped his glowing blue hand out towards the bedroom door.

In the guest room, Dust was sitting on the bed, busy researching on the laptop while listening to music on a pair of headphones. Under the bed, the Fenton Deadshot began to glow blue and it flew through the air. The bedroom door began to glow blue as well before it opened by itself and the rifle flew through the entryway. Dust glanced over and saw the door opening.

"Huh?"

Back in Sam's room, the Deadshot darted across the room and landed in Specter's hand. As soon as his hands were on the weapon, he began to charge it with blue ecto-energy and his electrokinesis. He blinked over to the window and aimed down the scope at the ectopus as it flew off.

"Eat this."

Specter pulled the trigger and an electrified blue energy beam shot through the air at a blinding speed. Just below the bedroom window, Sam opened the door and entered her home. The ectopus glanced behind just as the beam made contact, blasting it further away and shocking it with an even more potent electrical attack. Through the scope, Specter watched as the ectopus disappeared into the horizon as electricity coursed through its body.

"Uhhh…" he sighed as he let the stock hit the ground and leaned against the Deadshot.

"Ow," Danielle groaned as she sat up and rubbed her head.

She glanced and saw the sticky mess the ghost had left behind.

"Oh-"

"I know," Specter muttered as a blue ring appeared around his waist, "I know…"

"What happened!?"

Trevor and Danielle turned and saw Dust standing by the door, looking around in disbelief.

"Well, besides the fact that I forgot to telepathically ask for your help," Trevor deadpanned, "an ectopus the size of a bus showed up and basically kicked our asses."

"You guys are _so_… _screwed_," Dust said.

"Only if Sam finds out," Danielle noted as she wiped some ectoplasm out of her hair.

"Only if I find out what?"

"Goodbye, life," Danielle whimpered.

Dust turned around and stepped aside, revealing Sam, who had just arrived home from school. She entered her room and looked around. Her bed, ceiling, floor, desk, even a couple of clothes left on the ground and the closet was covered in ectoplasm.

"Umm… I can explain…" Trevor said calmly.

"Let me guess… a ghost showed up?" Sam asked.

"Uh, Sam?" Danielle asked.

"Guys, it's fine," Sam laughed, "This shouldn't be too much a problem to clean up. This isn't the first time something like this has happened."

"Yeah, about that…" said Trevor, "Ummm… Danielle? Dust? Cover your ears."

Sam arched an eyebrow as the two did as they were told.

"We got inked by an ectopus. A large one," Trevor explained.

"And?" Sam asked.

"Ectoplasm inked from ectopuses is like tar," Trevor continued, "Not even intangibility can get it off easily."

Sam's eyes widened.

"Wait… are you saying…?"

"It won't stain, but-"

"_**WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO!?**_"

Trevor removed his hands from his ears and turned back to Sam.

"Done?" he asked.

"Trevor, if you, Danielle, and Dust don't clean this up _right now_…"

"Yeah, that will take us some time," Trevor muttered, "Also, it was _my_ fault, not theirs."

"I might know a spell that can clean this up," Dust offered.

"I'd rather not risk making things worse, Dust," said Danielle.

"I don't care who's fault it is," Sam seethed, "I want this mess cleaned up! _**NOW!**_"

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Across town, Danny and Tucker were sitting across from Valerie at a booth at the Nasty Burger, prepared to eat their food.

"It was sweet of you guys to invite me to hang out with you," said Valerie.

"It's nice to talk to you again, Valerie," said Danny, "It's been kinda…"

"Awkward having the same classes?" she asked.

"Exactly."

"So, what's been going on in your life, Valerie?" Tucker asked.

"Not much. Ghost hunting, school, trying not to worry my father."

"He knows you're still hunting ghosts?" Tucker asked.

"He's not exactly supportive of my line of work… not that I'm getting paid anymore," said Valerie.

She noticed the worried looks on Danny's and Tucker's faces when she said that.

"Not that we're not financially set now," she clarified.

"We know," said Danny, "Um… are you and your dad safe?"

"Eh," Valerie shrugged, "So far, so good. But if Vlad does anything to my father, oooh, boy, is he gonna get it."

"Remind me not to hurt your father," Danny joked.

"I'll be glad to remind you," Valerie smirked, "even _after _you hurt him."

"Um, I don't think it'll go that far," Danny nervously smiled.

"Better hope it never does," Valerie playfully threatened.

"You and your dad must be close, huh?" Tucker asked before taking a bite out of his burger.

"Yeah," Valerie sighed, "For as long as I can remember, it's always been just me and him. I don't know what I would have done without him."

"No mom?" Tucker asked.

"No," Valerie answered, "She passed away when I was very young. I don't have any memories of her."

"Sorry to hear that," said Danny.

"My father took her loss pretty hard," Valerie explained, "Mostly focused on his work whenever he wasn't taking care of me. But he always found time to be the best father he could."

Danny's face fell as he sighed.

"Sorry for getting him fired, Valerie," he said.

"Huh?"

"When Cujo broke into Axiom and caused all the trouble that got him fired," Danny clarified.

"Danny, I don't blame you for that anymore," Valerie smiled, "I was just angry and thought Phantom was the one at fault and… wait, who's Cujo?"

"That's what Danny named the ghost dog," Tucker smiled, "I wanted to call him 'Banner', but I didn't have any say at the time."

"So… why did the dog attack Axiom?" Valerie asked.

"He was just looking for his chew toy," Danny explained, "I think when he was alive, he was a guard dog for Axiom. After he passed away, he turned into a ghost and wanted his toy again."

"Like an obsession?" Valerie asked.

"Exactly," said Danny.

"What's going on, dweebs?"

Danny groaned in annoyance as he, Tucker, and Valerie looked over and saw Dash, Kwan, and Dale standing next to their booth.

"What do you want, Dash?" Danny asked.

"Well, besides your face at the bottom of my foot," Dash smirked, earning him a glare from Tucker and Valerie, "Me and the guys want to talk to Valerie."

"Well, I don't want to," said Valerie, "Why don't you and your other friends go away and let us eat and talk in peace?"

The A-Listers were surprised by the response.

"What's with you, Gray?" Dash asked, "I know you used to date this loser, but now that you're no longer living in the slums, we figured you'd like your spot back with the A-Listers."

"Aw, that's sweet," Valerie replied deceitfully, "You want me to rejoin a group of bullies and jerks who do nothing all day but have others do our homework, cheat on their tests, and pick on others just because you're bigger and stronger? I think I'll pass."

"Are you joking?" Dash asked.

"Am I laughing, Baxter?" Valerie glared.

"Come on, Dash, leave them alone," said Kwan, "What's one less person?"

"Hold on, guys," said Dale before he turned to Valerie, "Valerie, come on, why not hang out with us again. You had no problems with us when you were with us before I moved away*****. I heard how you moved back to your old place with your dad when I got back a few weeks ago. What changed in the past year?"

"You really want to know?" Valerie asked.

Dash, Kwan, and Dale nodded.

"What happened was I found some friends, _real friends_, who showed me how cruel and awful I really was to everyone," Valerie explained, "And the sad thing is, I was just like you."

"And what's that supposed to mean!?" Dash exclaimed.

"It means you're all nothing but bullies," Valerie hissed, "I was blinded by popularity and wealth for too long, Dash. So, no. I won't be rejoining your bully group. Now, unless you want to start trouble, I suggest you leave me and my friends alone now."

"Ha!" Dash laughed, "You're just like Fen-turd! You're a loser like the rest!"

"If anyone's the loser, it's _you_, Dash," Valerie glared.

"Whatever!" Dash exclaimed, "Come on, guys. Let's leave get out of here."

He turned around and walked back over to the table where Paulina and Star were sitting. Kwan and Dale looked at one another and shrugged before following him. Kwan paused for a moment and looked over his shoulder.

"Uh… take care, Valerie," he told her.

"You too, Kwan," Valerie smiled.

Kwan made his way back to the A-Listers as Valerie sighed in relief.

"Took them long enough to leave," she muttered.

She turned to Danny and Tucker and was a bit surprised to see them staring at her with wide eyes and mouths hung open.

"What?" she asked.

"Did… did you just stand up against Dash?" Tucker asked.

"For us?" Danny added.

"Well, duh!" Valerie laughed, "I'm not gonna let my friends be pushed around by them."

"Where were you when school began?" Tucker smirked.

"You didn't have to do that for us, Valerie," said Danny, "It's not like Dash would actually hurt me here."

"I had to do something, Fenton," said Valerie, "Doesn't it get tiring being pushed around by Dash all the time?"

"Honestly, it's been like this for so long, I reached about three different levels of being tired of it," said Danny.

"How long?" Valerie asked.

"Pretty much since we were little kids," said Danny.

"'We'?"

"I've Danny's best friend since kindergarten," said Tucker before he turned to Danny and smirked, "Remember the time he took your toy rocket ship?"

"Space shuttle," Danny corrected, "But, yeah… I do."

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

_**10 Years Ago**_

"Hey! Give it back!"

A young boy with messy black hair wearing a white t-shirt with red sleeves and a red rocket ship on the front, faded blue jean shorts and grey shoes****** was jumping up and down trying to grab his toy space shuttle that was being held over his head. They were in the middle of a playground, surrounded by a dozen other kids.

"Or what?" the taller boy holding the toy taunted, "You'll cry to your mommy?"

Danny continued to try and get his toy back, but the blond boy wearing a black t-shirt, jeans, and white shoes just smirked and dangled the toy over the shorter boy, just out of his reach.

"Come on, Dash," said another boy, "Give it back to him."

Dash glanced over his shoulder and saw another boy wearing glasses, a red baseball cap, dark blue t-shirt, dark green cargo shorts, and black shoes.

"Why should I, Foley?" Dash sneered, "You gonna tattle on me? Is that what you are? A tattletale?"

He reached over and took Tucker's glasses off his face.

"Hey!" Tucker exclaimed, "Give me back my glasses!"

"Make me, four eyes!" Dash laughed, "You two are losers!"

The other kids began to laugh as Danny and Tucker jumped up and down to try and grab their things from a laughing Dash.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

_**Present**_

"Remind me, why am I helping again?" Dust asked as she scraped a chunk of ectoplasm off the ceiling with her hands.

The ectoplasm was removed from the ceiling but tore off some of the finishing with it. Dust lifted her left hand and a purple rune appeared around it as she began to chant a spell. The small fragments that were embedded in the ectoplasm moved out of it and shot back into place on the ceiling.

"Because we must appease the empress," Trevor replied flatly as he aimed a Fenton Thermos at the ectoplasm in Dust's hand and absorbed it inside.

"Well, if _someone_ didn't bring an ectopus inside my room," Sam growled as she laid out the clothes on her bed that Danielle had cleaned, "you three wouldn't have to do chores."

"I'm actually half tempted to use my time medallion to show how it was an accident and we didn't _intentionally _bring it here," Trevor muttered.

"Don't even think about it, Trevor," Dust warned.

"Hey, I promised not to time travel with it," Trevor retorted, "I never said anything about using it to show other points in time."

"Less talk, more work," Sam ordered.

"Sam, I can do this on my own," said Trevor as he kneeled down next to more ectoplasm, "And Dust wasn't even involved with the fight."

Sam looked over her shoulder and gave Trevor a death glare.

"That doesn't work on me, Manson," Trevor deadpanned.

"Shut up and clean up this mess," Sam told him.

Trevor rolled his eyes and scooped more of the tar-like substance from the floor. As he stored it inside the Fenton Thermos, he caught sight of a large book that was leaning against Sam's desk. He wiped his right hand on his shirt before reaching over and picking the book up. He arched an eyebrow as he began flipping through the pages.

"Huh," he exclaimed, "I didn't know you had a scrapbook, Sam."

"Oh, did you find it?" Sam asked over her shoulder, "***Gasp* **Tell me it's not ruined!"

"Relax, it's _miraculously_ unscathed," Trevor said sarcastically, "Jeez, this whole thing is basically a visual diary."

"I call them 'memories'," Sam smirked as she reached over and took the scrapbook from him.

She began flipping through older photos and sat down on the bed.

"Ooh, can I see?" Danielle asked as she sat down next to Sam and leaned over, "Wow, there are so many photos."

"Well, there are plenty of things I want to remember and look back on," Sam smiled as she turned a couple pages.

"Awww, it's little Team Phantom," Danielle chuckled, "Is that you in a pink dress?"

Sam glanced over and saw a photo of Danny, Tucker, and herself when they were in kindergarten.

"Oh, god, I hated that dress," Sam groaned, "I literally wanted to burn it and bury it at sea."

"So, you've been friends with Danny and Tucker you whole lives?" Danielle asked.

"Well, most of _my _life," Sam explained, "Danny's known Tucker longer. This photo was taken a week after I first met them."

"What were they like?" Danielle asked, "How did you guys become friends?"

Trevor and Dust slowly got more interested in the conversation rather than the cleaning.

"Pretty much the same," Sam smiled, "As for how we met…"

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

_**10 Years Ago**_

A young girl was sitting under a tree, avoiding the other kids in the playground. She had long black hair that reached to her midback and was wearing a pink pleated dress with matching pink wristbands on each wrist, a pink ribbon tied into a bow on top of her head, and a pair of pink Ugg boots. She was not exactly happy either.******

"Hmph," she pouted, "Why does mommy make me wear these stupid clothes?"

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw all the children rushing over to something. She shrugged it off and stared off into the distance.

"Hey! Give it back!"

The girl raised an eyebrow and glanced over to the group of kids.

"Or what? You'll cry to your mommy?"

"What's going on?" she asked out loud as she got up and walked over to the crowd.

"Come on, Dash. Give it back to him."

The girl pushed between two boys and saw a tall blond boy taunting a shorter black-haired boy by holding a toy space shuttle over his head. Another boy wearing glasses was trying to help the other boy get his toy back.

"Why should I, Foley? You gonna tattle on me? Is that what you are? A tattletale?"

The taller boy reached over and stole the other boy's glasses, taunting him the same way as his first victim.

"Hey! Give me back my glasses!"

"Make me, four eyes! You two are losers!"

As the other kids began to laugh in amusement, the girl pushed past a couple other kids and approached the bully.

"Hey!" she shouted, "Why don't you pick on someone your own size?"

The bully looked over and saw the girl standing up to him, arms crossed and eyes glaring.

"Ha, look at this, Fen-loser!" Dash exclaimed, "Looks like you need a _girl _to help save your toy!"

"Ugh," the girl scoffed, "Just give them their stuff back."

"Or what?" Dash asked, leaning towards the girl, "You're a girl. You can't do anything to-"

***WHAM***

The scream that Dash unleashed was the girly scream that any male kicked in the balls could make. He let go of the toy and glasses and grabbed his poor balls as he fell to the ground in the fetal position. Danny and Tucker caught their respected items and stared at them for a moment before they stared at the girl.

"So…" the girl smirked, "who's being a girl now?"

The other kids nervously backed away and returned to whatever activity they were doing before Dash got their attention. The girl turned to the boys who were bullied and was slightly surprised to see them staring at her.

"Uh… are you two okay?" she asked.

"Huh? Oh, uh… yeah, thanks," said Tucker as he put his glasses back on.

The girl turned to Danny, who seemed to be zoned out as he kept staring at her.

"Um, hello?" she asked.

Danny shook his head and rubbed the back of his head, nervously.

"Oh, uh, yeah… hi," he said, slightly blushing.

"Are you okay?" the girl asked, "Did he break your toy?"

Danny inspected his toy space shuttle for a moment.

"It's fine," he smiled.

He glanced back at the girl gave her a toothy grin.

"I'm Danny," he said, "And this is my best friend, Tucker."

"Hey," said Tucker.

"I'm Sam," said the girl.

"Sam?" Tucker asked, "Isn't that a boy's name?"

Sam glared at Tucker and kicked him in the shins.

"Ow!" Tucker exclaimed, grabbing his shin and hopping around on one foot as Danny laughed.

"It's short for Samantha," Sam explained, "But I hate being called that."

"Sam it is, then," said Danny, "Hey… You're the new girl, right?"

"So what if I am?" Sam asked, crossing her arms, "You gonna avoid me-"

"You wanna hang out with us?" Danny asked.

"Oh…" said Sam, "You… don't mind playing with a girl?"

"We've never had someone help us when Dash bullies us," Danny admitted.

"But you were so cool," said Tucker as he stopped hobbling around, "First time I've ever heard Dash scream like that."

"Help… me…" Dash squeaked.

"Wow... you mean… you guys want to be my… friends?" Sam asked.

"Of course!" Danny exclaimed as he and Tucker grabbed her hands, "Come on!"

"Physical… _contact_…" Sam grimaced as she was pulled toward the nearby sandbox.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

_**Present**_

"And thus, began the story of love," Trevor said half-heartedly.

"Trevor!" Danielle and Dust exclaimed.

"Oh, tell me I'm _wrong_!" he challenged.

"I think it's cute," Danielle smiled, "Sam sticking up for Danny like that…"

"Alright, knock it off," Sam chuckled, "Get back to cleaning."

"Awww…" Danielle moaned.

"Hey, just be glad the bathroom door was closed," said Trevor, "That's one less room we had deal with."

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

"Awww, love at first sight," Valerie teased.

"Kn-knock it off, Valerie!" Danny exclaimed, sinking in his seat as his face turned red.

"I think it's sweet," Valerie smirked, "Speaking of love…"

"Oh, boy," Danny grumbled.

"Are you and Sam… you know?" Valerie asked.

"Yeah, Danny," Tucker smirked as he shook his cup to see if there was any soda left, "Are you and Sam…?"

"Alright," Danny conceited, "Yes, Sam and I are dating…"

"I knew it!" Valerie exclaimed.

"But I want to keep it quiet!" Danny whispered, hoping no one from school was around to hear, "I don't want anyone else to know yet."

"Why?" Valerie asked, "People already call you two 'lovebirds'."

"It's one thing for people to think we're lovebirds," Danny explained, "It's another when people find out we're actually dating."

"What's the worst that could happen?" Valerie asked.

"Honestly?" Danny asked, "I'm worried how everyone will treat her when they find out we're dating."

"You're so-," Valerie began.

"Overprotective?" Danny asked, "Yeah, I know."

"Well, that's one mystery solved," Valerie smiled, "What about you, Tucker? You seeing anyone?"

"Nope," he replied, "You interested?"

"Whoa, there, big boy," Valerie chuckled, "Let's not get any ideas."

"Well, if you ever change your mind, you know where to find me," Tucker smirked.

"Besides your lack of a romantic relationship," Valerie continued, "what's been going on with you, Tucker?"

"I have been working on a little pet project during my free time," said Tucker, "It's something I think will help-"

Suddenly, Danny gasped and a blue mist escaped past his lips.

"Uh-oh," he muttered.

"What's wrong?" Valerie asked, "And why did your breath fog up?"

"Ghost sense," Danny briefly explained as he stood up, "A ghost is nearby."

"What!?" Valerie exclaimed.

On cue, people started screaming and running outside as a giant ectopus descended towards the ground and screeched loudly. Danny, Tucker, and Valerie looked outside and watched the chaos ensue. Danny and Valerie glanced at each other and nodded before rushing outside and went behind the Nasty Burger to transform without being seen. Tucker remained seated in the booth and calmly pulled out his PDA and began typing on it.

"Better time than ever for a test flight," he smiled.

"Uh, Tucker?"

He turned his head and saw Danny Phantom's head phased through the glass window, with the Red Huntress floating on her hoverboard behind him.

"You gonna join us or…?" Phantom asked.

"Oh, don't mind me," Tucker smirked, "I've got an idea."

Phantom turned to the Huntress, but she just shrugged before she turned around and flew towards the ghost. Danny pulled his head out of the window and made it tangible as he flew after her. The ectopus wrapped three of its tentacles around two cars and a pickup truck and lifted them into the air. The ghost looked down the street and threw the two cars away towards a group of civilians running away. Phantom quickly flew over to them and created a ghost shield around them and himself. The vehicles collided with the shield and exploded, but Phantom and the people inside remained unharmed.

"Well, hope the insurance covers ghost attacks," Phantom said under his breath as he brought the shield down.

The ectopus glared at Phantom and prepared to throw the truck at him, but a metal grapple hook attached itself to the ghost's tentacle. The ectopus' eyes followed the metal line up to the Red Huntress' right wrist.

"Destroying personal property?" she asked, "I don't think so."

A surge of electricity traveled down the line and electrocuted the ectopus, causing it to drop the vehicle back in the same spot it was parked. Phantom shot forward and began firing cryo-ghost rays at the remaining tentacles, freezing them to the ground. The ectopus growled in pain for a moment and yanked the Huntress off her hoverboard.

"WHOA!" she exclaimed as she was swung around in the air.

"Valerie!" Danny exclaimed and flew up to try and help her.

***WHAM***

Unfortunately, that made it easier for the ectopus to swing her at Phantom, slamming them into each other and fall to the ground. The grapple hook detached from the tentacle and retracted back to the Huntress' launcher. The two sat up and groaned in pain and annoyance. They barely got back up to their feet when a pair of tentacles wrapped around their waists and were lifted into the air. The two fighters were brought close to the ectopus' face and it bellowed in their faces.

"Jeez, what did you eat, a dumpster?" Phantom asked.

The tentacles squeezed around their captives' waists, causing them to grunt in discomfort.

"I can't… turn intangible… Urk!" Phantom groaned as his midsection was getting crushed.

The Huntress glared at the ectopus and aimed the launcher at it, but another tentacle grabbed her wrist before she could fire it.

"Any ideas?" Phantom groaned.

"I'm trying to summon my hoverboard," the Huntress muttered as she squirmed in the grip, "But I can't seem to-"

She caught sight of her hoverboard being held down to the ground by another tentacle.

"We might be in trouble," she deadpanned.

Suddenly, a strange buzzing noise was heard approaching them.

"What is that noise?" Phantom asked, glancing around in confusion.

Appearing from around the corner of a building, a small RC drone flew up and floated in front of the ectopus' face. It crossed its eyes to look at it.

"A drone?" the Huntress asked.

"Need some help?"

Phantom and the Huntress glanced over and saw Tucker standing nearby with a controller in his hands.

"A drone?" Phantom asked, "A _drone_!? Tucker!"

"What?"

"You've been avoiding weeks of patrol just to build a stupid drone!?" Danny exclaimed.

"Not just _any drone_," Tucker smirked as he pressed a button on the controller.

A green light on the drone began to blink and a small turret rose from its body frame. The ectopus blinked in confusion a couple times before the turret began firing a barrage of small green anti-ghost rays in its face. The surprise attack caught the ghost off guard and it instinctually dropped Danny, Valerie, and her hoverboard onto the ground as it pulled its tentacles up to cover its face.

"An _anti-ghost _drone," Tucker smirked.

"And that time was well spent," Danny grinned unconvincingly.

"Eh, close enough to an apology," Tucker shrugged, "Oh, and you're both welcome."

Phantom's legs morphed into a tail as he took off into the air, with Valerie hopping onto her board and following him. The launcher vanished from her wrist and a wrist cannon appeared in its place as she aimed her wrist towards the ectopus. The drone stopped firing and slowly began to power down.

"Whoops," said Tucker, "Batteries are almost dead."

"No need to worry," the Huntress smirked and fired an anti-ghost ray at the ectopus' face.

The ghost's eyes widened in fear just before the blast hit it in its right eye. The roared in pain as it used a tentacle to rub its injured eye. When it opened its eyes and looked ahead, the ghost saw Danny Phantom floating in front of it, both hands glowing light blue like his eyes.

"I'm no law enforcement officer," he smirked, "But I think the order 'freeze' is appropriate here."

Phantom fired a powerful cryo-ghost ray and the ectopus was completely encased in ice. Its eyes darted around as it tried to find a way to escape. Danny pulled out his Fenton Thermos and quickly captured the ghost. He floated down next to Tucker and Valerie as she relinquished her suit.

"Well, so much for that 'no hunting ghosts' thing, huh?" Danny joked.

Tucker and Valerie deadpanned and crossed their arms.

"What?" Danny asked as a white ring appeared around his waist and he reverted to human form.

"Seriously, dude? 'Freeze'?" Tucker asked.

"Yeah… not my greatest of quips," Danny groaned, rubbing the back of his head.

"Does he always stay stupid stuff like that?" Valerie asked Tucker.

"It's usually not as bad as that," Tucker replied.

Tucker's drone slowly descended towards the group as the battery's life lingered. Tucker reached up and grabbed it by one of its landing skids before powering it off completely.

"Not bad for a test run," he smiled.

"Yeah, thanks for the save, Tucker," said Danny, "But why a drone?"

"Well, besides the fact that I'm not the greatest with many of your parents' inventions…" Tucker began.

"You mean you're a few levels below my dad's clumsiness?" Danny smirked.

"_Not the greatest_…" Tucker repeated, "But I didn't want to be the guy who just powers down Technus' armor or hack into power supplies or digital locks. I've always wanted to build a drone, and I figured why not use it to help you fight ghosts?"

"Well, it sure saved our hides," said Valerie.

"Sorry we couldn't hangout like normal people, Valerie," said Danny.

"It's fine," she replied, "You know… when you think about it, that requires people like us to actually be _normal_."

"Fair point," Danny smiled, "So, uh… what now?"

"Hmm…" Valerie hummed, tapping her chin, "Well…"

"Look, if you need more time apart from us, I understand," said Danny, "I know it was a lot to take in and-"

"Why don't you show me what you guys have at the Fenton Works?" Valerie suggested.

"…wait, what?" Danny asked.

"If I'm gonna be a part of this team, then I should learn more about ghosts, how you deal with them, and what kind of firepower you have in your parents' lab," Valerie explained.

"You mean…?" Danny smiled.

"I've decided to help you guys out," Valerie smiled, "But first, I want some answers."

"Sure," said Danny, "We'll answer anything you ask while we head to my place."

"Alright," Valerie replied as she, Danny, and Tucker began walking down the sidewalk, "So… when did you change your suit?"

Danny's eyes went wide.

"Uuuuuhhhh… Can that one wait?" he asked.

"I thought you said-"

"Let's just say… there's a reason we can't answer that one yet," said Tucker.

"Alright, if you guys say so," Valerie sighed, "Then answer me this one; how did you become… _this_?"

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

"Did your parents hate Danny even when you were kids?" Danielle asked Sam as she handed her another clean dress from the closet.

"Are you kidding?" Sam replied, "The moment they heard he was a Fenton, they took me straight home and told me to stay away from him."

"Being a trained sniper, I'm gonna take a shot in the dark here and guess that you didn't listen to them," said Trevor as he put the last of the ectoplasm from the ceiling and walls inside his Fenton Thermos.

"A perfect bullseye," Sam smirked as he laid the clean dress out on the bed, "Is that the last of the clothes?"

"Yup," Danielle replied as she stepped out of the closet, still covered in ectoplasm, "Seriously, how come intangibility doesn't work on this stuff?"

"Danielle, there's a lot of things that don't make sense," said Trevor, "When and what intangibility works on is the same logic as to why we have the word 'inflammable'."

"I don't get it," said Danielle.

"Inflammable means the same thing as flammable," said Trevor.

"It does!?" Danielle exclaimed, "I thought it meant 'not flammable'! Why does that word even exist!?"

"My point exactly," said Trevor as he wiped his hands on his shirt and flipped through a few pages in Sam's scrapbook.

"Hey…" said Sam as she reached out for the book, "You still have work to do."

Without looking up, Trevor turned himself and the book intangible, avoiding Sam's grasp.

"There's barely anything left," he replied, "All that's left is a few spots on the floor."

"Well, then get back to work," Danielle giggled as she turned intangible and snatched the book from Trevor.

"What the!?" he exclaimed, "You also have to clean this up, Fenton!"

"I'm sorry, didn't you say it was _your _fault earlier?" Danielle smirked as she sat down with Sam on the bed and turned tangible.

Trevor took a deep breath and let out a long groan in annoyance as Danielle stuck her tongue out at him. She opened the scrapbook and looked through more recent additions. Her eyes stopped at a photo of Sam kissing a blushing Danny Phantom on the cheek on a hilltop under the moonlight. Danny's left hand was held out towards the camera, glowing green.

"Aw, this is a cute picture," said Danielle as Sam looked over her shoulder, "Wait… why are you kissing him?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Sam smiled, "He and I are dating."

"Dating?" Danielle asked, turning to Sam and cocking her head to the side, "Is that a calendar thing or something?"

"What?" Sam asked.

"You can't be serious," Trevor deadpanned under his breath as Dust floated down to the ground and began to laugh.

"What?" Danielle asked, looking around, confused, "What's 'dating'?"

"Oh, my god, you _are _serious," Trevor groaned as he facepalmed, causing Dust to laugh even harder.

"You… don't know what dating is?" Sam asked, raising and eyebrow.

"Hmmm…" Danielle hummed as she glanced down and tapped her chin, "Nope!"

Sam chuckled at Danielle's innocent expression.

"When two people like each other a lot," Sam explained, "they start hanging out more often and do things together that they wouldn't do if they were just friends."

"Like kissing?" Danielle asked.

"Dust, please let me use the medallion to skip ahead in time by a few hours," Trevor begged.

"No."

"Damn it," he muttered.

"Yes…" Sam blushed, "Sometimes. Danny and I are basically in a point in our relationship where we realize that we genuinely care for one another and we are thinking about spending the rest of our lives together as a couple."

"Like marriage?" Danielle asked.

"Maybe one day," Sam replied, "We're still young and we don't know what the future holds."

"Hopefully me, Dust, and Reaper returned to our timeline and this one untouched by destruction," Trevor interrupted.

"So… every time you two are together and I see Danny blushing…" said Danielle, "Is that because he likes you more than a friend?"

"Yes," Sam replied.

"Huh… weird," said Danielle, "Wait, why does Trevor sometimes turn red? Is that because-"

"NO!" Trevor exclaimed as his face immediately turned red, "No! Nope! Changing subject!"

"But-" Danielle began.

"Let's talk about something else," Trevor growled through his teeth as he noticed Sam and Dust smirking at his discomfort, "… before I commit homicide."

"What's with him?" Danielle asked, turning to Sam.

"Oh, don't worry," Sam smirked, "He's just having… _conflictions_."

Dust was still laughing and when Danielle wasn't looking, Trevor flipped off his partner and Sam, which just amused them more.

"Well… there is one thing I've been wondering," said Danielle, "How did Danny get his powers?"

"Vlad never told you?" Sam asked.

"No, he was too busy using me for his plans to really tell me any backstory," Danielle explained, "Not that he would have told me the truth anyways."

"Fair point," said Sam.

"I'm curious as well," said Trevor as his blush vanished.

"You never asked him?" Sam asked.

"In my timeline, I was too busy hunting Reaper and fighting a war," said Trevor, "Here, I'm too busy training you, your boyfriend, and the others and hunting Reaper."

"… You have no social skills, do you?" Sam asked.

"That's an understatement," said Dust.

"Can we not make this about me and get to what I'm sure will be a dramatic reveal of the origins of Danny Phantom?" Trevor asked monotonously.

"Alright," Sam sighed, and Danielle shifted herself on the bed and sat with her legs crossed, invested in hearing the story.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

_**18 Months Ago**_

"Smile!" Sam exclaimed as she pulled up her camera and took a picture of Danny holding up a jumpsuit in front of the nonfunctioning Fenton Ghost Portal*******.

It took a moment for Danny's eyes to readjust from the flash before he lowered the jumpsuit.

"Okay, I showed you the Portal, can we get out of here now?" he asked as Tucker and Sam walked over to him, "My parents could be here any minute. Besides, they say it doesn't work anyway."

"Come on, Danny," said Sam as she walked over to the front of the Portal, "A Ghost Zone? Aren't you curious? You gotta check it out."

Danny walked up next to her, suit still in hand, and took a quick glance up at the portal.

"You know what? You're right," he smiled, "Who knows what kind of awesome, super-cool things exist on the other side of that Portal?"

He slid into the suit and zipped it up.

"Hang on," Sam smirked.

She walked up and ripped the image of Jack's face off Danny's chest.

"You can't go walking around with _that _on your chest," she explained, pointing and frowning at the picture she held up.

Danny turned towards the Portal and slowly made his way inside. The eerie bright blue lights from the Fenton tech made him feel slightly uncomfortable as he ventured further inside. He reached he left hand out to help balance himself against the wall, completely unaware that it was reaching towards the console with two buttons on them; a red button labeled "OFF" and a green button labeled "ON". As soon as he made contact, Danny absentmindedly pushed the green button.

***Beeeep***

Danny's body was instantly flooded with electricity as the Portal came to life. Green energy engulfed the inside of the Portal as Danny screamed in pain. Tucker and Sam watched in horror as Danny's silhouette vanished behind the energy glowing brighter by the second.

"Danny!" Tucker and Sam exclaimed.

A flash of green light erupted from the Portal, causing the two to cover their eyes. Danny's screams suddenly halted before an energy burst shot out of the Portal, pushing Tucker and Sam back a couple feet and onto their backs. As they sat back up, the Portal doors slammed shut and the lab was calm again.

"Danny!?" Tucker and Sam called out as they got to their feet.

"Uhhhhh…"

The two looked over and saw someone lying in front of the Portal.

"Who's that?" Tucker asked.

Sam rushed over and kneeled beside the stranger. He had messy white hair, tanned skin, and appeared to be wearing the same suit Danny was just wearing, only the colors had been reversed. He slowly opened his glowing neon eyes halfway and stared at Sam.

"Sam?" he moaned before passing out.

A white ring appeared around his waist and split into two, going up and down the stranger's body.

"Danny!?" Sam exclaimed.

"What was that!?" Tucker exclaimed, "Did Danny become… _a ghost_!?"

"Kids!?" Maddie exclaimed from upstairs, "Is everything alright down there!?"

"Oh, no," Sam groaned, "His parents!"

"What do we do!?" Tucker asked.

Sam glanced around for a moment before an idea came to mind.

"Here," she said as she lifted Danny under his shoulders, "Grab his legs. We'll carry him to his room."

"And let his parents see him?" Tucker deadpanned, "That won't look suspicious at all."

"Kids!?" Jack called out, "We're coming down! Are any of you hurt!?"

"We'll tell them that Danny was exhausted and he passed out," said Sam, "Now are you going to help me or not!?"

Jack and Maddie entered the labs and looked around.

"Kids?" Maddie asked.

"Oh, hi, Mrs. Fenton," said Sam as she and Tucker walked by with Danny in their arms, "Danny fell asleep, so we'll be taking him up to his room."

"Are you sure?" Maddie asked, "We could have sworn we heard some commotion going on down here."

"Nope!" said Tucker, "Nothing strange going on down here. We'll be going up now."

Sam and Tucker gave the older Fentons a nervous smile as they carried their friend upstairs.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

As Danny remained unconscious in his bed, Sam was pacing back and forth around his room while Tucker sat at his bedside. A white ring appeared around Danny's waist and he unconsciously went ghost.

"Tucker, he did it again!" Sam exclaimed.

"That's the fourth time in the past hour," Tucker noted.

"How are we going to tell him, Tucker?" Sam asked.

"Tell him what? That he's not normal anymore?" Tucker asked.

"I think the term 'unique' is a more appropriate term," Sam pointed out.

"Uuuhhh…" Danny moaned as he began to stir.

Tucker and Sam gave each other a nervous glance before turning to Danny as he sat up in bed.

"What happened?" he asked as he rubbed his head, "I feel like my body was shoved into a freezer and someone struck me with lightning."

He opened his eyes and noticed Tucker and Sam.

"Oh, hey," he said, giving his friends his usual goofy smile as he waved.

"H-hey," Sam replied.

Danny raised an eyebrow when he noticed Tucker and Sam acting weird.

"Are you guys okay?" Danny asked, "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Uh, dude?" Tucker gulped.

"What?" Danny asked, "Is something wrong?"

His eyes glanced over to his gloves.

"Hey, what happened to my gloves? And the rest of the suit?"

"Danny… something happened when you went into the Portal," Sam explained slowly.

Danny's eyes widened.

"Am I… _glowing_!?" he asked before he shot out of bed and ran into his bathroom.

He looked in the mirror and saw himself, but different. He began to hyperventilate as he stumbled backwards out of the bathroom.

"I'm… I'm a… I'm…"

"Danny, calm down," Sam told him as she gently pushed his shoulders down to have him sit on the bed.

"I'm a ghost!?" he exclaimed.

"Well… not entirely," said Tucker, "You can change back to normal."

"I can?" Danny asked, filled with hope.

Suddenly, his body turned intangible and Sam, who was still pushing on his shoulders, phased through him and landed on his bed.

"Whoa," she said.

"Sam! Are you okay!?" Danny exclaimed.

"Relax, Danny, I'm fine," Sam chuckled, "Wow… you _are _a ghost."

To Danny, that didn't sound like a good thing and his face fell.

"Sorry, Danny," said Sam as she sat down next to him, "Maybe it's not so bad."

Suddenly, Danny vanished from sight.

"Danny!?" Tucker exclaimed.

"Danny!" Sam shouted, "Where did you go!?"

"Huh? What are you guys talking about?" Danny asked, "I'm sitting right between you guys."

"You are?" Tucker asked, "Dude, we can't see you."

"What?" Danny asked as he looked at his arm, "Oh, great. Intangibility… invisibility… I am a ghost."

"Maybe not," said Sam, "Danny, we saw you change back to normal a few times while you were unconscious. Maybe if you think about it, you'll change back?"

Danny became visible again as he stood up.

"Maybe," he said, "Let me try."

He closed his eyes and concentrated. At first, nothing happened, but a moment later, the white ring appeared again around his waist. It didn't split into two though.

"You're doing it, Danny!" said Sam, "Keep going."

Danny concentrated harder and the rings split into two. They slowly ventured away from each other and Danny reverted to human form.

"You did it!" Tucker exclaimed.

Danny gasped and fell back to his bed.

"Whoa, easy there," said Sam as she and Tucker got up and grabbed his arms, carefully helping him down, "You alright, Danny?"

"Yeah..." he replied, "It feels weird. Like I'm… _alive_ again."

"So, what now?" Tucker asked, "Should we tell your parents."

"No!" Danny exclaimed, "If we tell them, they might think I'm just a ghost!"

"Okay, okay! Relax," said Tucker, "Though, I wouldn't say you're a ghost, entirely."

"Or entirely a human," Sam added, "Maybe more like… a half-ghost?"

"Half-ghost?" Danny asked.

"You know? Half human, half ghost," said Sam, "A half-ghost. It's got a nice ring to it."

"I think I prefer being a full _human_, Sam," said Danny, "I don't want to be… _this_! I want to be normal."

He sighed and laid back down on his bed.

"What am I going to do?" he asked as he dropped his face into his hands.

"I don't know," said Tucker, "I'm just glad I didn't lose my best friend."

"Same here," said Sam, causing Danny to lift his head slightly from his hands.

"You guys don't think I'm a freak?" Danny asked, raising an eyebrow as he sat up.

"Why would you think that?" Sam asked, "You're still you. You're just… different now. And nothing will change how I think about you."

Danny slightly blushed from that comment, which Tucker quickly noticed and smirked. His eyes then widened.

"Uh, dude?" Tucker asked.

Danny stopped blushing and glanced at Tucker, who was looking down at his legs. He followed his gaze and saw that the lower half of his body had become intangible and he was slowly sinking through the bed. Danny yelped as Tucker and Sam quickly grabbed his arms and held him up as he lifted his legs just before they became tangible again.

"Thanks," he said.

"Don't mention it," said Tucker.

"We'll help you through this, Danny," said Sam as she grabbed his shoulder, "Together."

Danny looked at his friends and smiled.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

_**Present**_

"And since then, Danny became a hero and we've been going around fighting ghosts since then," Sam finished.

Dust was sitting on the ground before Sam and Danielle while Trevor was standing behind her, removing the last of the ectoplasm from his clothes.

"Let me get this straight…" he said slowly as he put the cap on his Fenton Thermos, "You're telling me that the reason he became a halfa is because he was stupid enough to… let's be honest, be coerced into entering a dangerous device and accidentally turn it on, _while he's inside_?"

"When you put it that way, you make it sound less dramatic," said Dust.

"Hey, every hero has their origin story," said Sam, "Mind telling us yours?"

"Sure, I'll get right to that," said Trevor, "As soon as hell freezes over."

"I'm sure we can ask someone else," Danielle smirked.

"I don't know either," said Dust.

"Oh."

"Just replace Danny with me in your story, Sam, and that's basically the gist of how I got my powers," said Trevor.

"You mean you were _coerced_ as well?" Sam smirked.

"You can think whatever you want, I'm not saying a word," said Trevor.

"Well, better how Danny got his powers than me," said Danielle, "I wasn't even born; I was created."

"Yeah, you're supposed to be a clone of him, right?" Trevor asked, "Something about Vlad wanting a son or something and he tried making a perfect clone of Danny?"

"… Yeah."

Trevor gave her side-eye as Sam got up and looked around the room.

"Well, it took us a few hours, but you guys did a great job cleaning up all the ectoplasm," she said.

"That reminds me," said Trevor, "Why did you come home, Sam? Didn't you plan on hanging out with Danny and Tucker after school?"

"Well, that reminds _me_," said Sam, "Danny told us about yesterday and-"

"Oh, come on…" Trevor groaned, "Don't you start, too."

"What I was going to say…" Sam continued, "was that I think you and Danny were both being idiots."

"Oh," said Trevor, "And?"

"And what?' Sam asked.

"Am I supposed to apologize to him or something?" Trevor asked, "Because I'll tell you right now, that's not gonna happen."

"I take it back," said Sam, "You're still an idiot."

"Explain," said Trevor.

"You honestly think Danny hasn't experienced pain?" Sam asked.

"Are we talking your Danny or mine?" Trevor asked.

"Trevor!" Sam exclaimed.

"Look, I don't know what kind of pain he's experienced," said Trevor, "but I highly doubt he's ever had something worse than me, let alone anything remotely close."

"Isn't that a bit presumptuous of you?" Dust asked.

"I could say the same about Danny," Trevor remarked as he placed the Fenton Thermos on Sam's desk.

He then groaned in discomfort and began to rub his eyes.

"Mind if I use your bathroom for a minute, Sam?" he asked, "I think I got ectoplasm in my eyes."

"Yeah, go ahead," she sighed, "But we're not done talking about this."

"Whatever," Trevor muttered as he went into her bathroom and closed the door behind him.

"Is he ever happy?" Danielle asked.

"Define happy," said Dust.

Inside the bathroom, Trevor splashed his face with water from the sink and rubbed his eyes. He looked in the mirror and his eyes began to glow blue.

"Amazing how I can get this crap out of my eyes with ease," he muttered to himself, "but anything else and it becomes a-"

He stopped midsentence when he saw a blue aura on the wall behind him through the reflection of the mirror. He turned around and saw the aura with his own glowing eyes.

"The hell? Did we miss some ectoplasm?" he asked himself as his eyes stopped glowing.

As soon has his enhanced vision was disabled, the blue aura vanished, but there was no ectoplasm to be seen. Trevor raised an eyebrow in confusion and activated his enhanced vision again. The blue aura returned.

"Must be remnants of ectoplasm from before today," he said to himself.

His eyes slowly drifted towards the ground and saw more traces of ectoplasm, causing them to widen as he scanned the entire bathroom.

"What the…" he whispered in horror.

The bathroom floor was caked in traces of ectoplasm. There was a smeared handprint on the rim of the bathtub and another set of handprints on the cabinet doors under the sink.

"That's where the first aid kit is," Trevor said softly, "Phantom… what happened?"

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Over at the Fenton Works, Danny, Tucker, and Valerie were standing in front of the sealed Fenton Ghost Portal, staring at the door.

"So that's how I became a half-ghost," Danny finished as he pulled out the Fenton Thermos containing the ectopus.

"Wow," Valerie sighed, "That must have been quite an experience."

"Trust me," Danny said as he walked over to the door controls and opened the Ghost Portal, "I wouldn't even wish that experience on Dash."

Danny removed the cap from the Thermos and fired the ectopus back into the Ghost Portal. Once the contents of the Thermos were removed, Danny quickly resealed the Portal and went inside the Weapons Vault. Valerie followed him inside while Tucker placed his drone on a table to inspect it.

"You sure your parents won't mind me being in here?" Valerie asked.

"Well, given that me, Tucker, Sam, and Jazz managed to do just fine without my parents knowing, I don't think they'll mind," said Danny.

"Where are they?" Valerie asked as she checked out the various weapons on the weapon racks.

"I'm not sure," Danny replied, "Wild guess; they're out chasing a ghost."

"Sure living up to their name," Valerie smirked.

"They've gotten better now that they know my secret," Danny explained, "At least they were trying before then."

"No denying that," said Valerie, "… Hey, can I ask you something personal?"

"Sure," said Danny, "What's up?"

"Do you ever… regret your decision?" Valerie asked, "To become a hero?"

"Never," Danny smiled, "There have been some rough spots at times and there are times I wish people would appreciate my deeds a bit more… no offense."

"None taken."

"But I just want everyone to be safe, you know? It has made school a bit more difficult, but it's a small price to pay for being Amity Park's protector."

"I wouldn't exactly call it a _small _price, Danny," said Valerie as she made her way out of the Weapon Vault, "Don't you worry that all this ghost fighting will affect which college you will get into?"

"Yeah…" Danny replied as he followed her out, "The thought has crossed my mind at times… but even if I get a couple of bad grades, it's not the worst thing in the world."

"I hope you're right," Valerie said, concerned.

"So…" said Danny, "Want to learn more about ghosts?"

Valerie smiled and nodded as she and Danny joined Tucker.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

"And that's the last of the ectoplasm," Danielle announced as she put the cap back on the Fenton Thermos.

"And next time, you and Trevor won't lure an ectopus here and make a mess again," Sam said as she laid back on her bed and combed through her scrapbook.

"But it wasn't our fault," Danielle muttered under her breath before placing the Thermos back on the desk.

Dust morphed into her raven form and perched herself on the windowsill. The bathroom door opened and Trevor slowly walked inside the bedroom.

"Jeez, what were you doing in there?" Dust asked, "Taking a bubble bath?"

The young half-ghost didn't reply as he walked over to Sam's desk and steadied himself into the chair, breathing shallowly.

"Hey, are you okay?" Danielle asked, "You look pale."

Trevor slowly shook his head.

"H-how bad does it get?" he asked quietly.

The girls glanced at one another, confused.

"What are you talking about?" Dust asked.

"Huh… uhhh…"

"Trevor, is something wrong?" Sam asked as she

"Why… why is your bathroom covered in traces of ectoplasm?" Trevor asked.

Danielle and Dust turned to Sam with arched eyebrows as the teenager took a shaky, deep breath and bit her lower lip.

"Sam?" Danielle asked, "What's he talking about?"

"This wasn't what I was expecting when I said our conversation wasn't over," Sam nervously chuckled, "Danny didn't want me or Tucker to tell this to Danielle, but there's no avoiding it now."

"Avoiding what?" Danielle asked as she began to worry, "Is something wrong with Danny!?"

"Danielle…" said Sam, "Come here; sit down on the bed."

Danielle nervously made her way over to the bed and sat crisscrossed beside Sam. Dust flew over to Trevor and landed on his shoulder. Sam took a deep breath and silently sighed.

"During his first months of fighting ghosts," she began, "there were times when Danny had taken a few bad hits."

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

_***** TRIGGER WARNING *****_

_**Skip to the three " *** SAFE ZONE *** " lines if you are triggered by excess blood/ectoplasm. This is your finally warning. Reading from this point on is of your own doing. So you better not complain.**_

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

_**15 Months Ago**_

Sam quietly hurried upstairs and into her room. She locked the bedroom door behind her on the off chance that her parents would wake up at this hour and decide to come into her room. She wiped the tears from her eyes as she ran to her window and slid it open.

"Danny?" she whispered.

"C-can come… ***Gulp* **in?" a pained voice replied.

"Take your time," she replied as she held her hand out.

A slightly damaged white glove with fresh ectoplasm under the palms and fingers grabbed her hand. Sam gently guided the rookie hero through the window, careful to cause him any more pain than he was already experiencing. His other hand was pressed against a bleeding wound at his side, but it wasn't enough to prevent ectoplasm from dripping onto the windowsill and the floor. His suit had holes everywhere, including a huge slash across the blank chest of the jumpsuit********, luckily without drawing ectoplasm. Unfortunately, besides the deep gash he was applying pressure to, his back, left arm, and legs were peppered with cuts, many deeper than others and dripping ectoplasm down his body. Ectoplasm was also dripping from his nose and out of the corner of his mouth. His white hair was messier than usual and slightly dirtied with dirt and debris. As soon as his feet touched the ground, Danny's right leg jerked up from a sudden sensation of pain. Sam put his left arm around her neck so he could avoid putting weight on his bad leg.

"Let's get you into the bathroom," she whispered.

Danny nodded and winced as he and Sam slowly made their way to her bathroom, ectoplasm slowly dripping onto the floor.

"I'm sorry," he whispered once they made it inside.

"Shut up," Sam ordered, "Now is not the time for that, Danny."

"Sam…" Danny insisted as he was slowly laid down on the bathroom floor.

"Danny… _please_," she insisted, "Just… just shut up."

Danny gasped between breaths as Sam turned around and opened the cabinet doors under the sink. Thanks to Phantom's ghost form giving off some light, it was enough to see in the dark and find the first aid kit inside.

"Sorry about the floor," Danny apologized as Sam placed the box on the slowly growing puddle of ectoplasm.

"Forget the damn floor, Danny," Sam growled as more tears fell down her face, "I don't know if I can patch you up in your ghost form, but I don't want to risk you bleeding out if you change back."

"Just… Ah! Just do… whatever you can," Phantom groaned as he reached over and gripped the rim of the bathtub.

Sam wiped her face with her arm before reaching into the first aid kit and grabbing the rubbing alcohol. She reached up around the sink and felt around for the small towel was folded next to the basin.

"Ugggghhhh…" Danny groaned through gritted teeth.

Sam briefly glanced over her shoulder as she wetted the towel with the alcohol, but quickly turned away, not wanting to see her best friend in excruciating pain.

"I'm... Guh… I'm trying my best to be quiet, Sam," said Danny.

"Danny, I don't care if my parents even throw me out of the house for helping a quote unquote ghost," Sam lightly cried, "I'll do what it takes to help you right now."

Although the area next to his abdomen felt like it was tearing at the slightest movement, the moment Sam said those words, Danny turned his head and stared at her.

"I care about you, Danny," Sam continued as she shifted around and got on her knees next to Danny, "I… I hate seeing you like this. I hate seeing you put yourself in harm's way for complete strangers. I hate that Tucker and I are practically next to _useless_ to fight ghosts."

She covered her eyes with her free hand and hung her head.

"But most of all…" she concluded, "I… _hate_… wondering if this will one day get you killed."

"It won't."

Sam gasped when Danny's hand reached up and grabbed her wrist. Once he got her attention, Danny slid his hand into hers.

"Sam, I swear," he told her, blocking out almost all of the pain, "I won't die. I _promise_."

"Don't… don't do that," said Sam, "Don't make a promise you don't know you can keep."

"Too late," Danny smirked, giving her the same goofy smile he gave her when they first met.

"You dork," Sam muttered, looking away as she blushed, "***Sigh* **What would you do without me?"

"Well, Tucker would just faint every time I'd end up like this," Danny joked before wincing in pain.

Sam snapped her attention back to the wound and put the cloth close to Danny's shaking hand.

"I don't know if this will hurt or not," she told him, "but if it's anything like human injuries, this will hurt. _A lot_."

"Just press it on and fight through the stinging pain, right?" Danny asked rhetorically.

"Actually, I have to scrub it," Sam explained, "Sorry."

"Heh, look who's sorry now," Danny smirked, "Ready?"

Sam took a deep breath in and out before nodding.

"Alright," Danny said before he let go Sam's hand and took a deep breath, "Do it."

He removed his ectoplasm-covered hand from his injury and Sam began to scrub the wound. As soon as the towel touched the tender wound, Danny's eyes briefly went wide before he shut them tight and brought up fists up against his forehead. Sam worked as quickly and gently as possible to clean the wound as Danny fought through the pain and the urge to kick and scream. Occasionally his legs would alternate being extended out or relaxed, spreading the ectoplasm further out on the floor. Aside from that and the occasional louder groan, the noise Danny made through the minutes of treatment couldn't even be heard from within Sam's bedroom. Several minutes later, Sam finished taping a piece of gauze over the wound and slowly removed her hands to see if the dressing would hold. All of Danny's minor injuries have already fully healed and the cuts that still were have stopped bleeding.

"It's done, Danny," she sighed.

Danny nodded and wiped the sweat that covered his face. He took a deep breath and sighed as a white ring appeared around his waist and he changed back to human form. The room briefly went pitch black until the nightlight near the sink activated.

"Thanks, Sam," he groaned as he slowly sat up.

Sam lunged forwards and held Danny in a tight hug. He was momentarily stunned, but he followed suit and embraced her as well.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

"I don't want this to be your regular routine, Danny," she whispered back, "I think it's great that you want to be a hero and keep us all safe… but I don't see you get killed."

"I won't," he replied, "I won't."

A short period of silence fell as the two continued to comfort each other in the dimly lit bathroom.

"Sorry about the mess," Danny smirked.

"Aaaaaaand there's the Fenton moment," Sam said as they pulled away, "Another moment ruined."

"I'll buy you lunch sometime," Danny chuckled as he got to his feet and helped Sam up to hers, "Here, let me clean us up."

Sam felt a strange tingly sensation throughout her body as Danny turned them intangible and the ectoplasm that was on them fell to the ground. They walked out of the room, hand in hand for a moment before Danny turned them tangible again. It took the two clueless lovebirds a moment to realize they were holding hands. They quickly pulled their hands apart and glanced away, blushing.

"Um, I'll clean up the mess real quick and leave," said Danny, "You should, uh, get some sleep."

"Yeah, that's a… umm… good idea," said Sam.

Danny pulled out his Fenton Thermos and went into the bathroom while Sam went into her closet to change. It only took her a few seconds to grab her dark grey nightgown and turn around in time to see Danny leaving her bathroom and wordlessly walk over to her window. A white ring appeared around his waist and he went ghost. Sam took a step forward and opened her mouth the say something, but at the last second decided to not say anything.

"Sam?"

She glanced up and saw Danny, now in an untarnished jumpsuit, looking at her over his shoulder.

"Yeah?"

"Sleep well," he smiled.

"You too," she smiled back.

Danny chuckled and gave her a toothy grin before his legs morphed into a tail and he flew out the window. Sam walked over to the window and watched her best friend fly off in early hours before dawn.

_***** SAFE ZONE *****_

_***** SAFE ZONE *****_

_***** SAFE ZONE *****_

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

_**Present**_

Danielle, Trevor, and Dust stared at Sam, eyes wide and jaws and beak hung open.

"Jesus, Sam," said Trevor, "Why?"

"You know Danny," Sam sighed, "That hero complex of his is what keeps him going."

"I'm don't think that word means what you think it means," said Trevor, "But… jeez."

"Now do you understand?" Sam asked Trevor as he brushed his hair back with his fingers.

"Yeah…" Trevor sighed, "I guess I owe him an apology."

"Just one?" Sam asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Let's not get into comparing scars," Trevor deadpanned, "Let's just say he got apples, I got oranges, and they're both fruits."

Dust glanced over to Danielle, who was frozen in place as she stared at nothing in particular.

"Danielle?" Dust asked, "Are you okay?"

Sam and Trevor turned to Danielle and noticed how spaced out she was.

"Danielle?" Sam asked as she reached over, "You okay?"

She placed her hand on the younger girl's shoulder, but there was no reaction from her.

"Hey, it's okay now," Sam explained, "Nothing like that has happened in a long time."

Danielle blinked her eyes a couple of times before they looked into Sam's.

"There's nothing to worry about," Sam continued, "Danny's not-"

Suddenly, Danielle hopped to her feet as a white ring appeared around her waist and went ghost. She launched herself toward the wall as she turned intangible and phased through it.

"Danielle!" everyone exclaimed, and they rushed over to the window.

They glanced outside and saw Dani flying away into the magenta horizon.

"She's heading for the Fenton Works," said Trevor as a blue ring appeared around his waist and he went ghost as well.

Dust flew after Dani as Specter floated above Sam and grabbed her arms.

"No way I'm carrying you bridal style," he told her as he lifted her off the ground and turned intangible.

"Whatever gets us there faster," said Sam as she phased through the wall.

No one noticed the Fenton Thermos left behind on the desk for a moment, until a blue aura surrounded it and it followed the others out the window, which Specter telekinetically closed once the Thermos was outside.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

"So, you don't destroy ghosts?" Valerie asked, "You just return them back to the Ghost Zone?"

"With a few exceptions, yes," Danny explained as he took a sip out of his soda can, "Not all ghosts are evil, but there are those who just like to cause trouble rather than take over the world. If they go too far, I straighten them out and let them go."

"Like Youngblood," Tucker said as he was putting his drone back together, "And Amorpho."

"Exactly," Danny said as he placed his soda on the table, "Those two just enjoy spending time pulling pranks rather than actually hurt people. Usually."

"Speaking of time," said Valerie as she pulled out her cellphone, "it's getting late and I should get back home."

"It is?" Danny asked as he pulled out his cellphone, "Wow, you're right."

"Want some company?" Tucker asked, "I was about to head home myself and we'd be going the same direction."

Before Valerie could answer, Dani Phantom rocketed down the stairs and, as soon as she saw Danny, tackled him into a tight hug.

"Whoa!" Danny exclaimed as he fell off the chair with Dani clinging onto him.

***Thud***

"Ouch…" Danny groaned as he sat up, "Danielle?"

The younger half-ghost's arms and legs were wrapped tightly around his torso and she was visibly shaking.

"Dani? Hey, what's wrong?" Danny asked before smirking, "Aren't you forgetting to say 'hello' to someone?"

"Hey, Dani," Valerie said as she leaned over towards her, "Remember me?"

But Dani didn't respond as she began to weep.

"Dani?" Danny asked again.

As Tucker and Valerie gave each other worried looks, Sam, Specter, and Dust arrived in the lab. Specter let Sam go and she hurried over next to the two halfas while Dust landed on Specter's shoulder.

"What are you guys doing here?" Tucker asked.

"Specter?" Valerie asked.

"Oh, uh, hey, Valerie," Specter replied.

"You two know each other?" Tucker asked.

"Later," Specter told him as a blue ring appeared around his waist and he turned back into human form.

"You're a half-ghost too!?" Valerie exclaimed.

"_Later_!" Trevor repeated.

"Can someone explain to me what the heck is going on?" Danny asked as he got back up to his feet, Dani refusing to let go.

"I told them about your early rough nights," Sam sighed, "You know, the _really _bad nights?"

"What!?" Danny exclaimed, "Why!?"

"That one's on me, Danny," Trevor admitted, "Shit happened early, had to clean up Sam's room, and I saw traces of ectoplasm in her bathroom with my enhanced vision."

Danny blinked a couple of times as he pieced it together. He glanced down and smiled as he wrapped his arms around Dani.

"Dani, it's okay," he told her, "Nothing's going to happen to me, alright? I'm still here and I'm never gonna leave."

Dani's limbs slowly loosened and she finally let go of her older counterpart. As soon as her feet touched the ground, a white ring appeared around her waist and went up and down her body.

"You promise?" she asked as she wiped her eyes.

"Promise," Danny smiled as he ruffled her hair.

Danielle glanced over and saw Valerie.

"Valerie!?" she exclaimed, "What are you doing here!?"

"Long time no see, Danielle," Valerie chuckled, "A lot has happened since I last saw you."

Danielle raised an eyebrow and turned to Danny.

"She knows," he told her.

"And I'm now a part of the team," Valerie added.

"Really!?" Danielle exclaimed, "Awesome!"

"Yeah… well…" said Valerie, "I'd love to stay and chat, but I really need to get home."

"Awww…" Danielle moaned.

"You know, if it's not too much trouble, she could walk with me and Valerie when we walk her home," said Tucker.

"I never agreed to that, Foley," Valerie smirked.

"You never _disagreed _to it either," Tucker pointed out.

"That's not how consent works, Tucker," Trevor deadpanned, "Was that going too far?"

"That's a pretty far reach over the line," said Danny.

"Come on, Valerie," said Danielle, "I want to know what you've been doing these past months."

"Alright," Valerie sighed, "As long as Danny is fine with it."

"No staying out late," Danny smiled, "And you better call if there's a ghost attack."

"What are you, my dad?" Danielle smirked.

"Hey!" Tucker exclaimed as he screwed the last part onto the drone, "What about me!?"

"I supposed you can tag along," Valerie teased.

"Sweet," Tucker smirked to himself.

He and Danielle followed Valerie upstairs, leaving Danny, Sam, Trevor, and Dust alone in the Fenton Works' Lab. Sam glanced over and elbowed Trevor lightly in the arm.

"Listen, Phantom," he said, "I, uh… I just wanted to say sorry for assuming you've never experienced pain."

"Wait, what?" Danny asked, "Are you… apologizing to me?"

"Don't make me take it back, you idiot," Trevor groaned, "I've been pretty irritated all day until Sam told me about the pain you went through as an amateur hero."

"Compared to every other half-ghost before me?" Danny smirked.

"Vlad aside, that was a good joke," Trevor chuckled, "But I really am sorry for getting mad at you yesterday."

"And I'm sorry for assuming you haven't gone through something worse than I have," said Danny, "I don't know what you've gone through, with a war going on in your timeline, but I think it's safe to assume that we've both gone through stuff that very few have every experienced."

"On that, I can agree with," Trevor nodded.

"So, are we good?" Danny asked.

"… Yeah," Trevor replied.

"Good," Danny smiled, "But there's one thing I don't understand."

"What?" Trevor asked.

"How do you and Valerie know each other?" Danny asked.

"Remember a while back when I left you a note, after Vlad kidnapped Tucker and Sam?" Trevor asked, "For a while, Vlad would send his crony vultures after Damon and Valerie, but I would prevent them from kidnapping or harming them."

"Why?" Sam asked, "I thought Reaper was your top priority."

"He was," Trevor explained, "But… well, why make your life harder by having you worry about her."

"I worry about everyone," Danny pointed out.

"You know what I mean," said Trevor as Dust ruffled her feathers, "Besides, it makes it easier for me to keep track of everyone."

"How so?" Sam asked.

"Ummm… remember when I placed a tracker on Lydia?" Trevor asked, "Now, don't be mad, but…"

"You know what… nothing surprises me anymore," Sam sighed.

"I wouldn't say that if I were you," Trevor chuckled.

"Are you still dealing with those ghost vultures?" Sam asked.

"Vlad's gave up a couple weeks ago," Trevor explained, "Why? Who knows with that froot loop."

"You don't have any issues with Valerie joining us, do you?" Danny asked.

"Aside from going through the agony of retelling my story for the third… _fucking_… _**time**_," he muttered, "I've got no problems with it."

***Beep beep***

Danny, Sam, Trevor, and Dust turned their attention to the beeping coming from Danny's pocket. He reached in and pulled out the Fenton Phone inside.

"Hello?" he answered.

"_Uh, hey, Danny."_

"Valerie!?" Danny exclaimed, "How'd you get a Fenton Phone!?"

"_You gave it to me, remember?"_

"Oh… right," Danny said before facepalming, "Forgot about that."

"_Yeah, listen, remember when you told Danielle to call you if a ghost attacked?"_

"***Sigh* **Where are you guys?" Danny asked, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Sam smirked and rolled her eyes as she made her way over to the Weapon Vault and Trevor went ghost. A few moments later, Danny Phantom phased out of the Fenton Works, carrying Sam bridal style as she held the Fenton Ghost Collector in her hands. Specter and Dust followed them into the air as they flew over Amity Park to join the others.

"I swear, she's such an idiot sometimes," Phantom muttered.

"She's no different than you were when you first started this whole superhero thing," Sam smirked.

"Well, she technically is _me_," Danny smiled, "But if she was anything like me during those days, she'll need some help."

"Oh, no," Specter replied half-heartedly, "We better hurry before something terrible happens to her."

"Yeah… we should do something," Sam smirked, "If we want to save your girl-"

"I will find that ectopus and leave it in your room again and leave _you _to clean up the mess alone, Manson," Specter warned.

"I hope you like hospital food," Sam shot back.

"You know… I'm not even annoyed anymore," Logan sighed, "But can you please drop the whole 'me liking Dani' thing."

"Oh, so you _do _like her?" Danny teased.

"I _will _rip this medallion off and leave you all to deal with Reaper by yourselves," Specter threatened.

"No, you wouldn't," Dust chuckled.

"Uuuuugggghhhh…" Specter groaned, "Hello, darkness, my old friend…"

"Don't worry, Specter," Sam smirked, "Unlike Danny and I, between you and Danielle, only one of you is clueless."

Specter glanced over at the others, revealing his right eye glowing blue and flames occasionally flickering from the iris.

"Enough," he told them.

"Alright," Sam shrugged, "We'll stop teasing you… _for now_."

Specter blinked and his eye turned back to its normal neon green color. The four took a slight turn around a billboard and disappeared into the night, off to join the others and fight off ghosts intending to cause trouble in Amity Park.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

**{Notes}**

*** Dale is one of the A-Lister bullies only seen in Season 1. I decided to have him return because… I dunno, I just did. Also, Dale was last seen in the episode "Lucky in Love", which took place after "Shades of Gray", when Valerie's father was fired, and they had to move.**

**** Amethyst-Ocean style. Would you guys expect anything less? I got Danny's design (and the idea of including the toy rocket ship, **_**not a shuttle, Danny**_**; LOL) from A-O's "Dannyversary 13" fanart. I got Sam's design from A-O's "DP: Sam Growing Up" fanart. Tucker's design was my own since I didn't want Tucker to be like Danny and just have his teenage clothes shrunk down to kid size. That and Tucker is the only character of the trio that A-O hasn't done a "Growing Up" fanart for (yet? Hopefully?).**

***** Scene from the episode "Memory Blank" with some additions.**

****** This flashback takes place well before "Memory Blank", so Danny doesn't have the DP logo. However, this also takes place after "Attack of the Killer Garage Sale", since Danny's at Sam's place.**

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

**This episode was 20k words long. God damn it… I was not expecting that. Welp, screw it. Might set the length of each episode to be anywhere from about 10k to 20k words now, with 2-part "movies" being a total of 25k or more, I'm not sure yet. I was not turning this into a 2-part movie.**

**For those of you who did read the final flashback, congratulations… you have passed the first test. But… I've got some bad news… you're going back in future episodes! *Creepy smile* And it only gets worse. _Much... MUCH worse._  
**

**Anyways, hope everyone is doing well, since the COV-19 virus has been causing a huge problem around the world lately. Hope you're all staying safe and healthy.**

**Like, follow, and review (please).**

**~ThePhantomHedgehog**


	6. Episode 66: The Green Death

***Pokes head out of bunker***

**Um…. Hi… welcome back, phans…**

**So, it's been a while… and these past few months have… saying they've "sucked" would be an understatement. Long story short, COVID-19 sucks, online classes were a nightmare, and I've been busy with a lot of personal stuff as well. Luckily, I'm now back, and hopefully can get back into the swing of things… given that I revised this episode FIVE TIMES in the past month… So, to make up for the long wait, this episode a long one.  
**

**Also, interesting theory, Critica7… but no. That does give me an idea for the future…**

**I want to note that this episode was planned out months ago, long before this COVID fiasco, so I don't wanna hear how I'm being "insensitive" or "heartless" or whatever. It's just a story. GET OVER IT.**

**Ver. 1.0.0 (9/15/20)**

**Standard Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom. Apparently, Nickelodeon doesn't like it when you jump over the barbed wire fence at night… nor do their guard dogs… owie... I also don't own "Down with the Sickness". Okay, let's begin the episode.**

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Vlad Masters was sitting at his desk in his Wisconsin mansion office, conversing with members of City Hall from Amity Park via webcam.

"Well, gentlemen," Vlad concluded, "if that is all, I have other matters to attend to."

"Mayor Masters?" one of the councilmen asked, "Do you know when you will return?"

"I should be returning by tomorrow morning, councilman," Vlad replied, "We can go over your proposed bill first thing the day after."

"Thank you, Mayor Masters," said the councilman before Vlad pressed a button on the keyboard, ending the virtual meeting.

"Now with that out of the way," he smiled as he rose up and black ring appeared around his waist, "I should see how the necromancer's research is coming."

The rings went up and down Vlad's body as he transformed into Vlad Plasmius and stepped out of the small office set he had created in a newly constructed room under City Hall. In the lab, Magnus was going through his spell book, concocting various potions and charms.

"I hope you have some good news for me?" Plasmius asked as he floated over to Magnus.

"Define 'good'," Magnus asked without taking his eye off the beaker he was pouring ectoplasm and a strange dark blue substance with.

"Something that would help us defeat Daniel, his little friends, and Reaper," Plasmius listed out with the smirk.

"Well, you came to the wrong place," Magnus chuckled, earning him an unamused look, "I've gotten a couple of potions that might work, but… well, they were difficult to make and the ingredients are not easy to collect."

"In our line of work, when is it ever easy?" Vlad asked before he noticed a large glass container filled with ectoplasm, "What is this?"

"Oh, this?" Magnus asked, "Ah, just a new minion I'm creating."

"Really?" Vlad asked, "What sort of minion?"

"Not quite sure myself," Magnus admitted as he leaned towards the ectoplasm, "It's nearly complete; I just need the right catalyst and it should be ready."

"Is that so…" Vlad smirked as he glanced over to a shelf filled with various chemicals and ghostly fluids, "I might have something that could work."

"Well, if you have something that can act as a vessel for a soul as well as not destroy the ectoplasm, I would be very grateful," said Magnus as he flipped through the pages of his spell book.

"It just so happens I do," Vlad replied over his shoulder as he grabbed a closed beaker filled with a strange, dark grey liquid and a small vial of what appeared to be ectoplasm with a faded label, "This should do _just nicely_."

"Pardon?" Magnus asked, glancing over to Vlad.

"Oh, nothing! Nothing at all," Plasmius replied, hiding the small vial behind his back as he came back, "If I may…?"

"By all means," Magnus replied, "The honor is yours."

Vlad stood over the container of ectoplasm and quickly dumped the two ingredients inside. The mixture began to slightly glow brighter and bubbled.

"I must say, Plasmius," Magnus began as he watched the experiment closely, "I am grateful that you allowed me to stay here to conduct experiments of my own."

"Well, your methods have piqued my interest," Vlad smiled, "Why else would I have helped free you from your prison?"

"That's what troubles me…" Magnus explained, "I know you very well in Reaper's timeline, Plasmius. And at all times, you are always up to something."

The mixture began to bubble more and vibrate.

"And lately, I've noticed you've taken a bigger interest in Specter as well," Magnus continued, "I can't help but wonder… are you planning something more… _devious_ than usual?"

The container began to violently rattle, getting the two's attention.

"Oh, poop," they muttered.

***Ka-POOOOM***

A huge green dust filled the entire lab, blinding the ghost and half-ghost. Vlad coughed as he felt his way through the dense smoke until his hand grabbed a lever on the wall and pulled it down, activating the ventilation system and clearing the air.

"Magnus!" he shouted, "Was that supposed to happen!?"

"I don't know," Magnus replied calmly, "However…"

"However, what?" Vlad asked as he turned around and saw a third individual now standing in the lab.

"It would seem that the experiment was a success," Magnus finished.

***Cue Intro***

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

**Danny Phantom in: The Green Death (Episode 66)**

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Danny, Tucker, Sam, and Valerie were walking through the halls of Casper High School, heading for their respected next periods. Many of the students they walked by were sneezing, coughing, blowing their noses, or a combination.

"This cold season sure hit hard this year," said Sam, "It seems as though a quarter of the students are home sick while everyone else is spreading it."

"Ah-_**CHOO**_!"

The gang stopped and stepped aside to let a student leave the building and head home.

"And not just the students; the teachers as well," Sam pointed out, "Mr. Falluca***** wasn't here either."

"Yeah," said Valerie, "And I haven't seen Kwon or Paulina around either."

"Heh, wouldn't _that _be something?" Danny chuckled, "All the A-listers being sick- OOF!"

Not paying attention to where he was going, Danny bumped into someone and fell to the ground. When he looked up, he realized he had jinxed himself.

"Hey, watch where you're going, Fen-turd!" Dash exclaimed over his shoulder.

"Jeez, sorry, Dash," Danny muttered as he got back to his feet.

"Not as sorry as you will be after school," said Dash, "The coach is still sick, making this the third practice in a row that has been canceled."

"I don't see how that's my problem," Danny said, raising an eyebrow.

"It means I'm angry, Fentina," Dash smirked as he grabbed Danny by the collar, "Let this be a sneak peek of what I'm gonna do to you after school."

Before anyone could react, Dash shoved Danny into his locker, hitting the top of his head against it, and slammed the door shut.

"See you later, losers!" Dash laughed as he, Paulina, Dale, and a couple other A-listers walked away.

Tucker tried to open the locker but found it to be locked.

"Stand aside," Sam told him before she swiftly slammed her elbow into the door, denting it and allowing Danny to slump out, "You okay, Danny?"

"Yeah," he groaned as he rubbed the back of his head, "Wish the locker was two inches taller."

"But what about after school?" Valerie asked.

"You're asking _me _that?" Danny smirked, "I have ways of getting out undetected."

Down the hall, Dash entered the restroom to take care of business. After flushing the urinal and zipping his pants, he walked over to the sink and began rinsing his hands under the water. Suddenly, the soap dispenser briefly gave off a green glow before it faded away. Dash didn't notice that or the strangely green soap he just cleaned his hands with. As soon as he was done trying his hands, his nose became runny and he began to cough. Behind him, a strange dark green cloud vanished through the wall. Paulina left the girl's restroom as well, experiencing the same symptoms.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

In a science classroom, Danny, Tucker, Sam, and Valerie were busy taking notes on the molecular structure of silicon when the final bell rang.

"Alright, we will stop here for today," Mr. Lancer said as everyone packed their notebooks, "Just remember to finish the homework by tomorrow, _with _illustration of molecular crystalline structures."

The class groaned in dismay at Lancer's request as they got up and began to leave the classroom.

"Hey," said Tucker, "Have you guys seen Dash?"

"No, he never showed up, even though we saw him _minutes_ before class started," said Danny.

"Yeah, and Paulina didn't show up either," Sam added.

"If you must know," Mr. Lancer said, stopping the group at the door and getting their attention, "Mr. Baxter and Ms. Sanchez****** were not feeling well and left home early."

"Oh, really?" Danny asked, trying to hide the relief in his voice.

"Indeed," Mr. Lancer replied, "Stay safe out there, you four."

"We will," said Valerie as they left.

"Oh, and Mr. Fenton?" Mr. Lancer called out, "A quick word?"

"Uh, sure," said Danny as he remained behind in the classroom, "Is something wrong?"

"I hope not," Mr. Lancer said, "I just wanted to let you know that I hope you do better _this _year. I don't think we need a repeat performance of breaking beakers during your freshman year, do we?"

"No, sir," Danny replied, slightly embarrassed by his early days of not having full control of his ghost powers.

"Very well," Mr. Lancer concluded, "You may leave, Mr. Fenton."

"Yes, sir," said Danny, "And I will do better."

Lancer watched Danny leave the room and close the door behind him.

"I hope so," Mr. Lancer sighed.

"What did he want?" Sam asked.

"Nothing," Danny shrugged, "Just didn't want a 'repeat performance', that's all."

"Oh, you mean all those beakers you dropped?" Tucker snorted.

"Oh, like _you _wouldn't have had a hard time controlling ghost powers?" Danny asked.

"I remember doing just fine when Desiree granted me that wish," Tucker smirked.

"Shut up, Tucker," Danny glared.

***Bzzz-bzzz***

"Hm?" Danny muttered as he pulled out his phone, "Looks like Trevor wants to see us."

"Ugh," Sam groaned, "I hope my parents won't make a scene again like _last _time."

"Well, it could be worse," Danny smirked, "We could all be sick and leave the town defenseless."

"Something tells me you'd still go out on patrol, regardless if you were sick or not," Valerie retorted.

"Touché," Danny replied, "At least none of us, or Danielle, or Trevor are sick."

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

"AH-CHOO! ***Sniff* **I'm sorry, what was that about everyone _**not **_being sick!?" Trevor exclaimed before blowing his nose into a tissue.

Danny, Tucker, Sam, and Valerie stood a distance away from Trevor, who was sitting in bed with a laptop and clearly sick.

"Yeah, I'll take the blame on that one," Danny smiled nervously.

"Well, it's just a cold… or the flu," Trevor muttered before coughing, "I can still go on patrol, though the coughing fits kinda make stealthy approaches problematic, if you can believe it…. Ah… Ah… Ah-**CHOO**!"

"Bless you," said Sam.

"Thanks."

"Then what's the alternative to you being stealthy?" Tucker asked.

Trevor held his right hand out before a blue aura appeared around it. A couple seconds later, the Deadshot telekinetically floated from under the bed and Trevor grabbed it by the barrel.

"Long range is always an option for me," he replied.

"You know, that reminds me…" said Danny, "Why did you bring the Deadshot?"

"Uh… what?" Trevor replied, "I was powerless when I first arrived here; I needed_ something_."

"No, I mean why specifically the Deadshot?" Danny clarified, "And ecto-ranium bullets?"

"Pretty sure the answer is self-evident," Trevor replied.

"Soup's ready!" a voice called out from the hall before someone entered the room, "I may have taken too long eating my bowl, but I was just _so _hungry."

She stopped when she realized there were others in the room with Trevor.

"Oh, uh, hi," said Danielle.

"What are you doing here, Danielle?" Danny asked.

"I asked her to come here," Trevor replied as he set the rifle down and telekinetically grabbed the bowl of soup from Danielle, "I had a mission for her."

"What mission?" Sam asked.

"The 'search around the Ghost Zone' kind," Trevor replied as he took a spoonful of soup into his mouth, "French onion soup again?"

"Wait, you were gonna go into the Ghost Zone with Danielle?" Tucker smirked.

"At first, yes, but after listening to her and Dust constantly telling me to stay in bed, I decided I wouldn't go."

"You were just gonna let her go in alone!?" Danny exclaimed.

"No!" Trevor and Danielle exclaimed at the same time.

"I was gonna have Dust join her," Trevor explained, "But-"

"But," Danielle interrupted, "he was sick and only Sam's grandmother was here to help get him better. So, I decided to stay and help."

"Oh, is that so?" Sam smirked as she glanced over to Trevor.

"Can we not talk about my current health issue and focus more on the _impending threat_?" Trevor asked, "In case you have forgotten, the Forgemaster told me that the Orbs of Power were, and probably still are, being used as locks to keep something extremely dangerous from returning."

"Do you have any idea what could be locked away? Or where?" Valerie asked.

"Probably these alleged horsemen, but I have no clue where," Trevor replied, "I _was _planning on visiting the Forgemaster and ask him more questions, but then… well, you know."

"So instead, you planned to let Dust and Danielle go instead?" Sam asked.

"Pretty much," said Trevor as he finished the rest of his soup, "But since they never left and you guys are here, I guess we can change it up a little."

Valerie glanced over at the laptop.

"What's all this?" she asked.

"Nothing useful," Trevor sighed, "Been looking up anything remotely helpful on the horsemen, but I've found nothing. Though I am surprised as to how many things comes in four when it comes to religion."

He glanced around the room, looking at each member of Team Phantom for a moment.

"Any volunteers to go see Forgemaster and ask him questions?" Trevor asked.

"I can do it," Danielle replied.

"Well, if she's going, then so am I," said Danny.

"I think it would be best if only one of you went," Trevor suggested, "We can't leave Amity Park defenseless."

"Hey!" Tucker, Sam, and Valerie exclaimed.

"You know what I mean," Trevor muttered, rolling his eyes, "What I mean is, we need someone with _ghost powers _to be around to protect the town. I can't do it efficiently in my current state, so we need one of you to stay. Either of you is fine."

"Fine, then I'll go, and Danielle will stay," said Danny.

"What!?" Danielle exclaimed, "And miss out on exploring the Ghost Zone!?"

"It's not a field trip," Danny told her, "The Ghost Zone is dangerous, and I won't let you go in there with just a magical bird to protect you."

"_My ears are burning_," Dust said from within Trevor's medallion, causing Danny to slightly jump.

"She won't be defenseless," said Valerie as she approached Danny and put a hand on his shoulder, "I'll go with her."

"Are you sure, Valerie?" Danny asked, "I don't like the idea of any of you guys going in there without me."

"Thanks for throwing me under the bus as well, Phantom," Trevor smirked, "Nice to know that you don't have faith in me."

"Come on, Danny, _pleeeease~_?" Danielle begged, clasping her hands together.

"Oh, alright," Danny sighed, "But if anything happens, _anything_… I want you to contact us on the Fenton Phones immediately."

"Then it's decided," said Trevor, "Valerie, Danielle, and Dust will meet with the Forgemaster and see if he can provide us with any useful information. The rest of us will go on patrol tonight and… ah… ah… AH… **AH-CHOOO**!"

"Bless you," everyone told him.

"Thank you."

"You sure you're up for patrol tonight, Trevor?" Tucker asked, "We can handle it."

"I don't doubt that," Trevor replied before blowing his nose into another tissue, "but I'm not gonna sit around doing nothing if a threat is out there."

He turned his attention back to the laptop and began typing on it for a moment before glancing around at everyone.

"What?" Danny asked.

"Unless you guys _want _to get sick, get out of my guest room," Trevor said flatly, "Believe it or not, being _around _people who have viruses, like colds and flus, tend to become carriers of said virus, spreading it more and more."

No one moved for a couple moments.

"GET OUT!" Trevor shouted as he put some headphones on and pressed the play button on the laptop.

_Get up, come on, get down with the sickness_

_Get up, come on, get down with the sickness_

_Get up, come on, get down with the sickness_

Trevor deadpanned as his hand slowly hovered over the pause button and pushed it.

"No, the irony is not lost on me," he said calmly to everyone as he plugged the headphones in, and the others smirked before leaving the guest room.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Down in the Fenton Works' Lab, Jack and Maddie were both hunched over a table, working on their latest invention. Maddie was wearing a welding mask as she welded some parts together with a welding torch. Jack, who was wearing welding goggles and holding the two pieces together, wasn't paying much attention as he was deep in thought. The moment Maddie turned the torch off and took off the welding helmet, she noticed the that two parts were not aligned when she welded them.

"Jack?" she asked, "These are not perfectly aligned. I thought you said they were in and was paying attention."

"Hm? Oh, sorry, Maddie," Jack sighed, "I was just thinking of our days in college."

"College?" Maddie asked, "Oh, has thinking about Jazz at college led to that?"

"Yup," Jack replied as he glanced over at an old photo of himself, Maddie, and Vlad Masters when they were building the first Ghost Portal prototype at the University of Wisconsin, "Back then, Vladdie was always by our side, until the accident of course. And now that he's back in lives, relatively speaking, we rarely ever get the chance to have see each other, let alone talk."

"Jack," his wife consoled, "you know that as our mayor, Vlad is a very busy man."

"I know, Maddie," Jack sighed, "I just wish we could spend some time together once in a while. To make up for the time lost from that _blasted accident_!"

Suddenly, the phone upstairs began to ring, getting the attention of the two Fentons.

"I'll get it," Maddie told her husband, preventing him from going upstairs, "The last time you answered the phone, you scared that telemarketer out of his wits."

"He had it coming!" Jack exclaimed as Maddie walked up the stairs, "I'm telling you, Maddie, those so called 'toaster ovens' all have a strange component that emits a signal that attracts ghosts! I'm sure of it!"

"Yes, yes, of course it does," Maddie replied, brushing his worries away as she answered the phone in the kitchen, "Hello? Fenton Works, Madeline Fenton speaking."

"_Ah, Maddie,"_ said a familiar voice on the other end of the line, _"A pleasure to hear your lovely voice again!"_

"Mayor Masters!?" Maddie exclaimed.

Jack poked his head around the corner when he heard Vlad's name.

"To what do we owe the pleasure?" Maddie asked.

"_Oh, Maddie, please, no need to be formal to an old friend," _Vlad chuckled, _"I was just enjoying my flight back to Amity Park when memories of our college days with Jack floated through my head."_

"Is it him, Maddie?" Jack asked, leaning over her shoulder, "Is it Vladdie?"

"_Ah, is that Jack?" _Vlad asked, _"Wonderful, this will work out __**perfectly**__!"_

"What will work out?" Maddie asked as she pulled her suit mask off, "Is something wrong, Vlad?"

"_Nothing at all, Maddie," _Vlad replied, _"I was supposed to meet with some businessmen tonight over dinner at the new restaurant downtown, but they have just cancelled. There is a fine for cancelling reservations, as I had them made a month ago, but since I only made reservations for three, I was hoping you and Jack would like to spend some time catching up? For old times' sake?"_

"Really!?" Maddie exclaimed.

"What!? What is it, Maddie!?" Jack exclaimed, "Is Vladdie in trouble!?"

"No, he's perfectly fine, Jack," she smiled as she put her hand over the speaker, "Vlad is inviting us to dinner tonight. Something about making up for lost time?"

"Dinner? With Vlad?" Jack asked, "My prayers have been answered!"

"Would you like us to meet you there?" Maddie asked Vlad.

"_Oh, no, I insist that I pick you up in my limousine and we'll go together," _said Vlad, _"And your husband, of course. How does six o'clock sound?"_

"Six is perfect, Vlad," said Maddie just before Jack snatched the phone from her, "What the-!? Jack!"

"Vladdie~!" Jack greeted his old friend, "It's been _ages _since we last talked!"

"_Yes," _Vlad moaned, _"it has been quite some time…"_

"I can't wait to see you again, old buddy! There's so much to talk about-"

Vlad hung up on him, leaving Jack to talk to a dead tone.

"Hello? Vladdie?" Jack asked before shrugging, "Huh… guess we got disconnected."

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

"Phew…" Vlad sighed as he put his cellphone away, "That buffoon is such a fool."

He turned around to face Magnus and an unknown individual floating beside him. The ghost appeared to be enveloped in a dark green gas cloud, blocking out all his features aside from his glowing round eyes.

"Now then, are we clear on tonight's plan?" Vlad asked them.

"Indeed," the stranger answered with an Italian accent, "You distract the adults while _I _deal with the children."

"Do not underestimate them," Vlad warned him, "They are formidable foes and I have made such mistake in the past."

"Fear not, Plasmius," the ghost chuckled, "When all's said and done, everyone in Amity Park will fall to Plague."

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

"So…" Danny smirked as he and Danielle were walking home, "You were helping Sam's grandmother with nursing Trevor, huh?"

"Well, yeah," Danielle replied, "It wouldn't be cool to have the old woman do it all by herself."

"Really?" Danny asked, "That's the only reason why you were helping?"

"Yeah…" Danielle replied, raising an eyebrow, "Why are you asking?"

"Oh, nothing," Danny shrugged as they arrived at the Fenton Works.

"I think you're lying," Danielle said as she followed him inside.

"What would make you say that?" Danny smirked.

"Danny!? Danielle!?" Maddie called out from the lab downstairs, "Is that you!?"

"Yeah, we just got home!" Danny replied as he and Danielle went down to the lab, "Is something up?"

"Indeed, something is up!" Jack exclaimed with a huge grin on his face, "Vladdie was kind enough to invite your mother and I to a lovely dinner at the new restaurant in town."

Danny's eyes widened as Danielle glanced up and scratched her head.

"Vladdie?" she asked.

"That's what Jack calls Mayor Masters," Maddie explained.

"Mayor Masters?" Danielle asked nervously, "As in… _Vlad _Masters!?"

"Yup, that's the one!" Jack proclaimed.

"Sounds like you two will be nice evening," said Danny, "Wait…"

He glanced over and saw Danielle's reaction.

"Oh, shoot!" Danny hissed quietly to himself, "I never told Danielle!"

"B-but Vlad Masters is- **MMMMFFFF!?**" Danielle exclaimed before Danny put a hand over her mouth.

"Is a great friend of our dad, Danielle," Danny chuckled nervously, "They've been best buds since college."

"That's right, Danny," said Jack, "And now your mother and I can catch up over a lovely dinner."

"MMFFF!?" Danielle exclaimed.

"Uh, yeah, well, I have homework to do and I have to, uh, train Danielle in a little bit as well," Danny said nervously as he dragged Danielle upstairs, "Trevor's sick, so I'm the only one who can train her."

Jack and Maddie watched with confusion as Danny and Danielle disappeared upstairs.

"I wonder what that was all about…" Maddie said as she tapped her chin.

"Ah, it's probably Danny being a good older brother," Jack smiled.

Back in Danny's room, the older halfa pushed Danielle inside and closed the door behind them.

"What's the big idea, Danny!?" Danielle exclaimed in anger, "Why aren't you stopping your parents!?"

"Look, I know it seems dangerous," Danny explained, "but Vlad wouldn't hurt our parents. Especially mom."

"Why?"

"He… has a thing for our mom."

"A thing?" Danielle asked, "Like… he _likes _her?"

"Yeah…"

"Ewwww," Danielle grimaced, "Gross."

"Yeah, tell me about it," Danny chuckled.

"So… they don't know that Masters and Plasmius are the same person?" Danielle asked.

"Uh…. Well… ***Sigh* **No," Danny admitted.

"What!? Why haven't you told them!?"

"Because if they knew, they'd be in danger!" Danny exclaimed before calming down, "As long as they don't know he's Plasmius, then Vlad will have no reason to go after them."

"He already _has _a reason!" Danielle protested, "They're… _our _parents!"

"Well, besides that," said Danny, "Look, trust me, okay? The less people that know Vlad's secret, the better."

"If you say so…" Danielle conceited, still not completely convinced.

***GGGUUUUURRRRRRrrrrrr***

"Uh…. Heh-heh," Danielle chuckled, "Guess I was so focused on nursing Trevor all day, I haven't eaten anything myself."

"Come on," Danny told her, leading her out of the room, "I'll make you a sandwich or something."

The two headed downstairs and found Jack and Maddie in the living room, watching a troubling news report.

"This year's flu season has been the worst in twenty years," the news anchor reported, "At least 1000 people are exhibiting flu or cold-like symptoms."

"What's going on?" Danny asked as he and Danielle walked over to the older Fentons.

"One sec…" the anchor said as he was handed an updated report, "The, uh… ***Ahem* **The number of cases in Amity Park have risen to now over 2000."

"Over two thousand!?" Maddie exclaimed, "In just a few hours!?"

"That's not good," Danny muttered, "Last year wasn't even that bad."

"Well, viruses are notorious for mutating very quickly, especially the cold and flu virus," Maddie explained, "But that doesn't explain the rapid spread of it…"

"Hm… I wonder what the cause is…" Danielle wondered out loud.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Back in Vlad's lab, Magnus was filling some of his flasks with his latest potions and hanging them from his belt.

"I must say…" the recent visitor said, "It's impressive how far medical advancement has come in the last few hundred years."

"Compared to the spices and herbs used back in the day, it truly is," Magnus agreed as he read through his spell book, "Now… where is that blasted spell?"

"But no matter what," the ghost chuckled, "Not even modern technology was able to stop me from spreading the flu faster through town."

"Enlighten me," said Magnus, "Exactly _how _did you achieve this?"

"Simply infected parts of the water way," the ghost replied, "As well as made the virus impervious to the chemicals they use to disinfect it."

"I hope you didn't make it immune to _everything_!" Vlad exclaimed as he stepped out of the elevator, "While people getting sick wasn't part of the plan, it certainly makes things easier."

"You actually _care _about these parasites?" the ghost asked.

"I prefer to avoid having bodies drop in mass at once," Vlad growled.

"Regardless," Magnus sighed, "you said you still needed to get into the Ghost Zone, correct?"

"Indeed," Vlad replied, "Before, Reaper was foolish enough to show me the map, revealing the locations of the Orbs of Power."

"Yes, yes, you need me to distract those… _Fentons_… for you so you can sneak into their laboratory and use their man-made Ghost Portal to enter the Ghost Zone, whatever that is," the ghost explained.

"I find it fascinating that you've never been to the Ghost Zone," Vlad noted, "I always figured all those who passed on and became ghosts would appear there."

"If that were the case, there wouldn't be necromancers," Magnus lightly joked, "You said something about the location of the remaining Orbs of Power?"

"Yes," Vlad replied, "If memory serves me right, which is always has, the remaining Orbs are hidden somewhere in the Ghost Zone."

"I see…" said Magnus, "Well, it is certainly a shame that your Ghost Portal got destroyed again, last time by the Guys in White." *******

"Yes," Vlad deadpanned, "Thank you for reminding me of Daniel's little 'prank'."

"So… exactly _how _are you going to enter the Ghost Zone?" the ghost asked, "You can't be in two places at once."

"Watch and learn," Vlad smirked as a black ring appeared around his waist and he turned into Vlad Plasmius.

Magnus glanced over in time to see Vlad's duplicate appear beside the original. Plasmius then reverted back to human form, leaving Plasmius floating beside Masters.

"While Mayor Masters is having dinner," Masters smirked.

"Vlad Plasmius will be in the Ghost Zone," Plasmius finished.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

The sun was slowing setting in the distance as Valerie and Dust arrived at the Fenton Works. Valerie knocked on the door and was surprised to see Jack answering the door in a tuxedo.

"Oh, Mr. Fenton," she exclaimed, "Having a nice dinner tonight?"

"Yup!" Jack exclaimed as he allowed Valerie and Dust entry, "Mayor Masters was kind enough to invite Maddie and I to dinner."

"Yeah, that's, uh, great…" Valerie replied with feigned joy, "So… where's-"

"They're downstairs," Jack smiled, knowing who she was referring to."

"Thanks," Valerie replied as she and Dust headed to the lab, where they found both Phantoms in their ghost form, "Hey, you two."

"Hey, Valerie," Danny waved, "You, uh… you didn't tell my dad, did you?"

"Nah, I got your message," Valerie replied, "Didn't tell them about Masters and Plasmius."

"***Phew* **Thanks, Valerie," Danny sighed.

"Oh, wonderful…" Dust muttered, puffing her feathers out in frustration.

"Something wrong?" Dani asked.

"Trevor fell asleep," she grumbled, "So he won't be… never mind."

"Did he just yell at you telepathically?" Danny smirked.

"Yeah, apparently us communicating makes his headache worse," Dust sighed, "Personally, I think he's being an idiot not resting."

"Join the club," the other three said at the same time.

"You guys ready?" Danny asked.

"Yup," Dani and Valerie replied.

Danny turned around and pressed his thumb against the Ghost Portal scanner, opening the Ghost Portal.

"Alright, let's go," Dani smirked, but Danny reached over and grabbed her shoulder.

"Hold on!" he told her as he turned her around to face him, "I want you to stay safe, understand?"

"Uh, yeah?" Dani replied, raising an eyebrow, "Danny, we can take care of ourselves."

"I know," he told her, "Just… just don't do anything reckless, okay? And if you guys are in a pinch, call us on the Fenton phones."

"Yeah, sure, _dad_," Dani said sarcastically as Danny took his hands off her shoulders.

Purple energy swirled around Valerie as she mentally summoned her suit.

"Don't worry, Danny," she told him, "I'll make sure she comes back without a scratch."

"Good luck in there," Danny told them.

Valerie and Dani nodded to each other as Valerie summoned her hoverboard and the two entered the Portal. Dust spread her wings and flew after them. For some reason, Danny had a weird feeling that he couldn't explain. He floated upstairs and found his parents waiting by the front door, Jack in the black tuxedo and his mother in a lovely blue dress.

"Are you sure you can handle the extra load tonight, Danny?" Maddie asked, "If you ever need help, your father and I are just a phone call away."

"No, that won't be necessary," said Danny as he reverted back to human form, "You two just enjoy your dinner with… Vlad."

***Honk honk***

"That must be our ride!" Jack exclaimed as he opened the door and saw Vlad smiling to them through the rolled down window of the black limousine, "Vladdie!"

"Ah, Jack, Maddie," Vlad smiled as they approached him, "Please, step inside."

The door opened and Jack and Maddie entered. Vlad then turned to Danny and gave him an evil smile.

"See you soon, little badger," he told Danny as the window was rolled back up.

Danny watched as the limo drove away.

"Wonder what he meant by that," he muttered, "Oh, well."

Danny glanced around to make sure no one was around before a white ring appeared around his waist and he went ghost. He then took off into the sky as it started to turn red, unaware that Vlad Plasmius phased into the Fenton Works and made his way into the lab.

"Well, looks like Daniel is like his old man," Plasmius smirked, "He left the Ghost Portal open. Well, when life gives you what you want on a silver platter, you take it and _the platter_."

He then darted into the Ghost Zone just before Danny returned.

"Wow, almost forgot!" he exclaimed as he made his way over to the control panel.

He lifted his hand as it reverted back to human and pressed his thumb against the scanner, closing the Portal.

"Good thing I remembered before someone was able to sneak in and enter the Ghost Zone," Danny sighed as his hand went ghost again, "Alright, time to start patrolling."

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Night soon fell upon Amity Park. Tucker's drone was flying through the streets, scanning for any ghosts, while Tucker and Sam were sitting on a nearby rooftop, bored out of their minds.

"This is ridiculous," Sam grumbled, "It's been nearly two hours and we haven't even seen one ghost."

"I'm with you, Sam," said Tucker, "Usually we get at least two or three false alarms an hour, but tonight? We haven't gotten _anything_."

"_Yeah, and you know what else is weird?" _Danny asked through the Fenton Phones, _"I'm seeing a lot less people walking around than usual at this hour."_

"_Must be the flu," _Specter said, _"I heard that this year's flu season is the worst in a while. __***COUGH COUGH-COUGH* ACK! *COUGH COUGH***__"_

"You okay, Specter?" Tucker asked, "You sound like you're getting worse."

"_Probably am," _Specter sighed, _"Sorry for not muting the mic. I'll- ughh… Whhhoooaahhh…"_

"Specter?" Tucker asked, "You sure you're okay?"

"_My vision just went blurry for a second there," _Specter admitted.

"Why don't you head back home and rest?" Sam suggested as she got up and glanced around the streets below, "The three of us can handle this. It's nothing new to us."

"_Nah, I'll be fine," _Specter sighed before blowing his nose, _"Just need a minute to get my strength back… Hey, Phantom? You're just north of me, right?"_

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

"Yeah, why?" Danny asked as he stopped flying and glanced around the area, "Is there something near me?"

"_I'm not completely sure, could have been just your aura," _Specter explained, _"But I could have sworn I saw something darting around the buildings near you."_

Suddenly, Phantom gasped and his ghost sense went off.

"No need to wonder if you're right or not," he said into the Fenton Phone.

"_Ghost sense?" _Tucker asked.

"Yeah," Danny replied just as he glanced over his shoulder and saw a ghost dart around the corner of the building, "I see him!"

He flew after the ghost; the two snaking their way through the buildings. Nearby, Tucker and Sam ran over to the fire escape and hurried their way to the ground.

"Specter, did you get that?" Sam asked, "Danny's onto a ghost."

There was no reply.

"Specter!?" Sam exclaimed.

"I know he's sick and all," said Tucker, "but if he fell asleep on the job, I'm _definitely_ gonna make fun of him for it."

"Tucker…" Sam sighed, "It's _Specter_."

"I know," Tucker smirked, "And I'm betting that it'll be worth it."

Phantom was slowly catching up with the ghost, but it was also getting more and more difficult to keep track of where it was going. Grunting in frustration, he turned intangible and phased through a building, easily closing the gap between him and the ghost.

"Okay," he said out loud as he turned tangible again once he was out of the building, "No more running."

On cue, the ghost went around the building and froze in place when it realized it was eye to eye with Phantom.

"So," Danny smirked, "where are you off to in such a hurry?"

***CLANG***

The ghost moved so fast that Danny didn't even see what it hit him with. He was pushed back a couple feet, stunned from the hit.

"Ow," he groaned.

He glanced up and saw the ghost fly down to the streets, where a few people were traversing. His legs morphed into a ghost tail and he went after the ghost as it flew by a couple of people.

"GHOST!" they shrieked, causing other people to scream and run.

"And _there's _the mass panic," Danny deadpanned, "***Sigh* **This would be so much easier if everyone just remained calm."

Suddenly, the people the ghost flew by began to shiver, cough, and sneeze.

"Huh?"

Danny glanced over his shoulder and saw that the civilians became sick, even though they were perfectly fine just seconds ago.

"They're sick," he said, "Is he the cause of the rapid spread of the flu?"

"_Phantom!" _Specter exclaimed, _"The ghost is chasing after more people just behind the building west of you!"_

Nearby, people were running and screaming as they were chased by the unknown ghost.

"Yes, run, you fools," he chuckled, "You'll only hasten the spread of disease once I infect you."

"Well, allow me to provide a cure then!"

***WHAM***

Phantom rushed behind the ghost and punched him in the face as soon as he turned around.

"Hmm…" the ghost muttered as he wiped his face, "Careful, Phantom. Once you are touched by Plague, you might fall to the miasma of disease."

"So that's your name, huh? Plague?" Danny asked.

"Judging from your tone, I'm guessing that you think it's a ridiculous name," Plague deduced.

"You'd be surprised," Danny replied, "I don't know what you're doing here, but I'm sending you back to the Ghost Zone."

"Is that right?" Plague asked.

A green glow appeared from within the green gas cloud as it began to dissipate, revealing what appeared to be an old plague doctor from the 17th century; a black hooded overcoat, boots, gloves, trousers, and a wide-brimmed hat. His face appeared to be covered with a dark grey beaked mask with red lenses, an old lantern in one hand that was giving off green light, and a cane in the other hand.

"You know, Halloween isn't for another couple of weeks, so what's with the getup?" Danny asked, raising an eyebrow?

"You'll find out…" Plague replied cryptically as he held out his lantern, "Soon enough…"

A blinding light erupted from the lantern, causing Danny to cover his eyes with his arms. Plague lunged forward and smacked Phantom away with his cane.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Across town, Jack, Maddie, and Vlad were sitting at one of the tables in a fine restaurant. There were many other customers there, silently eating and conversing as soft jazz music permeated the area.

"I must say, Vladdie, this is like a dream come true," Jack said as the waiter took their menus, "I've wanted to catch up with you ever since you've moved here and became mayor."

"What a coincidence!" Vlad exclaimed with false excitement, "I've been thinking the same thing! But my schedule has prevented me from doing so. ***Sigh* **It can be quite exhausting, I must admit, being mayor."

"Oh, Vlad, but you've done so much for the community," said Maddie before she sipped some champaign, "And your approval ratings have been going up every week."

"So, you've been keeping up with my latest polls?" Vlad asked, slightly energized by Maddie's comment.

"Of course," said Maddie, "We couldn't possibly our friend's political career."

"You two have always been so thoughtful," Vlad told them, "But let's not talk about me, let's talk about what _you two _have been up to. Come up with any new inventions and paranormal gadgets as of late?"

"Still got an interest in ghosts, eh, Vladdie?" Jack asked.

"Well, it's still more of a hobby, before I became mayor, but that doesn't mean I don't worry about the safety of our citizens," Vlad explained, "I'm very interested in seeing what you have in that lab of yours, Jack. If you be so kind as to allow me to, that is."

"Vlad, you certainly know how to make a grown man cry," Jack told him as he wiped a tear from his eye, "What do you say, Maddie?"

"Well, I don't see the harm," Maddie shrugged, "It would be nice to hear Vlad's thoughts on our latest weapons and anti-ghost technology."

"Well," Vlad smiled as he lifted his glass close to his face, "I might have to make room in my schedule some time to make that happen."

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Back on the battlefield, Phantom and Plague were firing ghost rays at each other as one tried to overpower the other. Danny morphed his torso into the shape of an 'O' to avoid a ghost ray from Plague as he returned fire a powerful attack from both his hands. Just as Plague fired another ghost ray from the tip of his cane, Danny attack hit him square in the chest and his own attack hit Phantom in the face, sending him flying into the wall of a nearby building.

"Aauuugghhh…" Phantom groaned as he pulled himself out of the wall.

He was still dazed once he was free and Plague rocketed towards him.

"Haven't had enough, have we?" Plague chuckled as he raised his lantern over his head, "Let me put some light on your situation."

Suddenly, a blue ghost ray blasted Plague away from Danny, launching him into the ground. Phantom glanced over in time to see Specter blink over with the Deadshot in hand.

"Sorry I'm late," he told Danny as he sniffed a few times and hung the Deadshot over his shoulder, "Not exactly at my best tonight."

A dark chuckle from below caught the two half-ghosts' attention.

"So, both 'half-ghosts' are here now," Plague chuckled as he emerged from the dust cloud, "Now I don't have to hold back."

"Uh, Logan?" Phantom asked, "Any tips against this guy?"

Plague swung his cane and unleashed a wave of energy towards the two. Danny and Logan quickly turned intangible and the attack phased right through them.

"Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I've never even heard of this guy before," Specter told Phantom.

"What!?" Phantom exclaimed, "I thought you know every ghost I have and will fight!?"

"I do," said Specter, "And this isn't one of them."

"Oh?" Plague asked, "Then you two are in for a surprise."

The ghost held out his lantern and it began to glow a yellowish-green color. A moment after, a strange aura sphere of the same color appeared around Danny and Specter.

"Get down!" Specter exclaimed, grabbing Phantom by the arm and pulling him down below the strange energy.

Just as they escaped, a thick sickly green fog appeared from the aura, radiating what appeared to be small ghostly green skull and crossbones. Nearby, Tucker, Sam, and the drone appear on scene, watching from an alleyway.

"What the heck is that!?" Tucker exclaimed.

"I don't know," said Sam, "but just looking at it is making me feel queasy."

"_Given that we can hear you," _Specter said through the Fenton Phones, _"I'm going to assume you also heard me comment that I have no clue who this guy is."_

"_Yup," _Tucker replied.

Phantom and Specter flew up and attempt to fire more ghost rays at Plague.

"Not so fast," the ghost smirked and held out his lantern again.

"WHOA!" Danny exclaimed as he made a sharp 90 degree turn and Logan blinked away just as another nasty fog was unleashed in their path.

As soon as Specter distanced himself away, he started having another coughing fit.

"No- ***Cough-Cough* **Not no-***Cough***-w," he wheezed.

Plague heard the coughs and turned his attention to the sick hero.

"You could use a doctor," he said and raised his cane to fire a ghost ray at Specter.

Suddenly, a pair of green ghost rays from below blasted Plague, temporarily stunning him. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Tucker's drone floating beside its creator and Sam, who was still aiming her Wrist Ray at him.

"Impudent worms!" Plague hissed and swiped his cane in their direction.

"You better focus on _me_!"

"Huh!?" Plague exclaimed as he turned around and saw Specter flying towards him with green flames burning in his hands.

***BAM***

A flaming fist flew across Plague's face, sending the ghost flying into a nearby billboard. Down below, a pair of hands phased out of the ground and grabbed Tucker and Sam by the arms.

"AAAAHHH!" they shrieked as they turned intangible and pulled into the ground.

Further in the alley, Phantom phased out of the ground with Tucker and Sam in tow.

"Jeez, a little warning next time, dude!" Tucker exclaimed.

"You're welcome," Danny smirked.

"Not funny, Danny," Sam scowled.

"Okay, okay, sorry," he replied, "Since Specter doesn't even know who this ghost is, we'll have to play it safe this time. I think it would be best if you two held back and try helping from a distance."

"What!?" Tucker and Sam exclaimed.

"Look, this guy has some sort of strange gas attack that seems to last for quite some time," Phantom explained, "We're not even sure what it can do, and I'm sure not gonna have something happen to you guys."

Both Tucker and Sam opened their mouth to say something.

"No 'buts'!" Danny said sternly, "Just stay in this alley and don't do anything unless we need your help."

"Fine," Sam sighed, "What's the plan then?"

While Phantom explained a plan to them, Specter was batted away from Plague with the cane. The ghost glanced over and saw the group from the alleyway.

"Hmm…" he smiled and held out his lantern towards the entrance, "Let's see if you'll like _this _surprise."

Specter phased out of a nearby building and fired an electrified blue ghost ray at the ghost, both blasting and shocking him away. The young hero then glanced over and saw the strange aura around the entrance of the alleyway.

"You alright?"

Specter looked up and saw Phantom approaching him.

"Where's Tucker and Sam?" he asked.

"They're in that alley, watching us from a distance unless we need help," Danny explained.

"Wait, what!?" Logan exclaimed.

Plague, who was floating nearby, chuckled as he watched Tucker and Sam slowly approached the trap he had set. The two teens were more focused on the events above them that they didn't notice the strange light until they were inside it.

"What is this?" Tucker asked.

"Your surprise," Plague said to himself as he held his lantern and activated the trap.

"Uh, Tucker?" Sam asked, "Is it just me… or is it getting brighter?"

Suddenly, Specter blinked in front of them.

"Get back!" he shouted as he shoved them back towards the alley.

Just as Tucker and Sam landed on the ground, a thick, dark green cloud enveloped Specter, complete obscuring him from everyone.

"Specter!" Danny shouted.

He glared at Plague, held out his hands, and blasted him with a powerful ghost ray. Plague barely had time to even see the attack coming before he was blasted over a couple buildings and disappeared. Phantom flew down to his friends and helped them to their feet before they all looked back towards the sickly colored fog as it began to clear up. Slowly, Specter reappeared, clearly weakened and shaking on his legs.

"Specter?" Sam asked as they slowly approached him, "Are you…?"

He held up his hand, stopping them in their tracks.

"Don't… don't come any closer…" he groaned.

Specter's vision began to blur and get darker as he fell to his hands and knees. A light blue ring appeared around his waist as the Deadshot slipped from his back and fell beside him. He tried to resist losing consciousness and reverting back to human, but the ring split into two and went up and down his body. Weak coughs escaped from Trevor's mouth as he lifted his head and revealed familiar red bumps all over his face.

"Catch… Plague…" Trevor moaned before he collapsed and lost consciousness.

"Danny…" Tucker said nervously, "Isn't that…?"

"Ecto-acne?" Sam finished.

"I think so," Phantom replied.

"Darn."

The three looked up and saw Plague floating above them.

"I was hoping to get all four of you at once," he sighed, "Guess I'll have-"

***WUMP***

"Ugh… uuurrgghh…"

Plague could barely move or say anything due to Phantom's well-placed punch to the gut.

"You're gonna pay for that," Danny growled before he spun around kicked Plague away, into another billboard.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Deep in the Ghost Zone, the Forgemaster was hammering a claymore in his forge, sparks flying and the coals burning a ghostly green. He stopped slamming his hammer and sighed over the anvil as his golden eyes glanced over to the exit.

"Intruders," he muttered as the large door opened.

"Uh, hello?" Dani called out as she poked her head out, "We're looking for the, uh… Forgemaster?"

"Why are you here?" Forgemaster asked, startling the half-ghost girl.

Valerie and Dust entered behind Dani and they turned towards the ghost.

"We came here looking for the Forgemaster," Valerie explained, "We need some answers."

"Who told you to come here?" the Forgemaster asked as he rose into the air and picked up the scorching sword.

"Specter," Dust answered.

The Forgemaster stopped and stared at the trio for a moment.

"Specter? Is that so?" he asked, "Hmph. A foolish child he is."

"Let's just cut to the chase," said Valerie, "Do you know anything about the 'Horsemen'?"

"Of the Apocalypse?" the Forgemaster asked, "They don't exist, at least in this world, or yours."

"Well, Trevor thinks they might," said Dani, "You told him that the Orbs are some sort of locks?"

"Conduits, but yes," the ancient ghost replied, "What of it?"

"Well… exactly _what _is locked away?" Phantom asked.

"An evil so vile that it cannot be released," the Forgemaster replied.

"Cryptic and unhelpful," Dust scoffed, "Specter and I didn't follow Reaper through time just to have our time wasted. We need to know what we are dealing with."

The Forgemaster gave a long, hefty sigh.

"It's been so long, even _I _do not remember," he admitted, "But just thinking about it gives me chills."

"But you're a ghost," Dani said, raising an eyebrow, "How do you get chills?"

"Dani," Valerie told her, "we have more important matters."

"Oh, right, sorry."

"Let's pretend that I believe you," said Dust, "where is this evil locked away?"

"It doesn't matter," the Forgemaster answered as he sat back down in his seat, "The Lost Vaults have a strange phenomenon of preventing anyone from remembering the exact location."

"The Lost Vaults?" Valerie asked, "What are those?"

"An ancient labyrinth filled with catacombs, where evildoers are locked away for all eternity," the Forgemaster explained, "They are doomed to spend the rest of their existence there until they cease to be."

"Wait, wait, wait," said Dani, "If they are locked away one by one, then… don't you need the Orbs of Power to unlock it?"

"The one sealed away by the Orbs of Power is a… unique case," the Forgemaster explained as he continued hammering the claymore, "It is… an evil so terrible and horrible that it despises other evils. It exists only to destroy."

"So, we have nothing helpful," said Dust, "All we can do is continue searching for the remaining Orbs and prevent any more locks from losing power."

"There must be _someone _who can give us answers," Dani sighed.

"I'm curious," Forgemaster said as he stroked his chin, "why have you come to me instead of Clockwork?"

"Clockwork?" Dust asked, "What does he have to do with all this? I know he knows everything, as he reminds everyone periodically, but I'm certain he would have told us something this important months ago."

"Hm… interesting…" the Forgemaster muttered to himself.

***Beep-beep***

Dani answered her Fenton Phone.

"What's up?" she answered.

"Dani?" Tucker asked, "It's Tucker. We need you guys back in Amity Park, now!"

"What's going on?" Valerie asked into her Fenton Phone.

"It's Trevor!" Tucker exclaimed, "There's this new ghost and… he infected Trevor with ecto-acne!"

The three looked at one another for a moment before they turned around and darted out the door, leaving the Forgemaster to wonder what was happening. Behind him, an intangible Plasmius smiled before pulling his upper body out of the wall of the Forge and followed the girls.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Jack and Vlad were laughing as they and Maddie were talking and eating.

"Oh, Vladdie, you've still got that sense of humor of yours," Jack sighed.

"It's true!" Vlad laughed, "The man was losing his mind all because I replaced his fountain pen with the same looking pen filled with invisible ink! He had to rewrite his name _twenty times_! The moment the ink reappeared, he had completely destroyed the contract!"

Maddie chuckled a little as her cellphone began to ring.

"Excuse me, boys," she told them and answered, "Hello?"

"Mrs. Fenton!?" Sam exclaimed, "We need your help, now!"

"Slow down, Sam," Maddie told her, "What's wrong?"

"It's Trevor!" she exclaimed, "He's got ecto-acne!"

"What!?" Maddie exclaimed, getting Jack's and Vlad's attention.

"Is something wrong, Maddie?" Jack asked.

"It's Trevor," she whispered to him, "He's been infected with ecto-acne."

Vlad's eyes widened and he briefly choked on his champagne as he overheard the private conversation.

"Vlad, I'm sorry, but Jack and I must go," Maddie explained as she and Jack got up from their seats, "There's been an emergency and we are needed immediately."

"Oh, no, it's no trouble at all," Vlad replied, "In fact…"

The Fentons turned back as the mayor rose from his seat.

"I couldn't help but overhear that someone has been infected with ecto-acne, correct?" he asked, "Forgive me for intruding on the privacy of the issue, but if you would allow it, I could lend my time to help treat the poor individual…"

Jack and Maddie nodded to each other.

"Vlad, that would be tremendous help," said Maddie, "In fact, we _need _your help, because we don't have any means of transportation."

"Vladdie, could you take us back to the Fenton Works?" Jack asked.

"Of course," Vlad smiled before turning to the waiter, "Put the bill on my tab; I'll pay it as soon as I can."

"Yes, of course, Mayor Masters."

"Jack," Maddie whispered, "We can't let him know that Danny and Trevor are half-ghosts."

"Don't worry," Jack whispered back, "We'll make sure their secrets are safe."

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Tucker and Sam winced from behind a dumpster as Danny took multiple blows from Plague, but he was able to retaliate with blows of his own. The two were floating in the air, a few feet from each other, both reaching their limits.

"I must admit," Plague noted, "you're much more powerful than I was led to believe."

"And who told you about me?" Phantom asked.

"And ruin the mystery?" Plague taunted before swinging his cane and unleashing a wave of energy into Phantom's chest.

"Guys…. Where are you?" Sam asked into the Fenton Phone.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

"We're almost out of the Ghost Zone," Valerie replied as she, Dani, and Dust closed in on the Fenton Ghost Portal, "We're going as fast as we can."

Behind them, Plasmius was keeping his distance, but not straying too far from them. The three entered the Fenton Works' Lab and Dani closed the portal behind them. The doors closed as Plasmius was about the leave, causing him to gasp when he realized he couldn't slow down.

***CLANG***

He pulled his face off the sealed door and frowned as he floated back a few feet.

"Wasn't expecting this…" he muttered, "No matter, I'll just wait until the other 'me' opens the door for me."

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

"Ugggghhh…" Phantom moaned as he leaned against his knees.

"Valerie, hurry up," Tucker whined into the Fenton Phone, "Danny's out of steam and he's about to get gassed."

Plague slowly descend, laughing lightly at Phantom's exhaustion.

"I think this has gone on long enough, ghost boy," he hissed, "Time to put you down as well."

Suddenly, a purple ghost ray shot through the air and blasted Plague in the back, sending him flying away from Danny.

"Who dares!?" he exclaimed as he turned around and saw the Red Huntress, Dani Phantom, and a ghost raven flying towards him, "Oh."

"Get away from him, you weirdo!" Dani exclaimed as she threw a barrage of ecto-disks at the ghost.

Plague held his arms up and blocked the projectiles that would have hit him in the face.

"Too much heat here," he growled, "Better make my escape before things get out of hand."

As the Huntress and Dani closed in on the ghost, Plague unleashed a thick grey fog from his lantern, hiding himself inside. The two halted midair as the fog consumed them as well. Dust altered her course and flew over to Trevor's body.

"Ack, where'd he go!?" Dani exclaimed.

"Dani! Valerie!" Danny exclaimed and flew up towards the dirty cloud as he turned intangible.

Tucker and Sam came out of hiding from behind the dumpster and watched as Danny came out with Dani and the Huntress, holding them by their wrists.

"You guys alright?" Sam asked as they landed on the ground and Danny made them tangible again.

"Yeah, we're fine," Valerie replied, "Where's…?"

Tucker and Sam glanced over their shoulders toward Trevor, who was still lying unconscious on the ground. Valerie and Dani began to approach him, but Danny held his arms out, blocking the way.

"Don't get near him!" he exclaimed, "Ecto-acne is highly contagious, and it can be fatal."

Dani's face fell when she saw the poor state Trevor was in. Suddenly, the roar of an engine and screeching of tires caught everyone's attention. Tucker peeked around the corner and saw the Fenton RV fast approaching. He squinted his eyes and saw Vlad Masters with Jack and Maddie.

"It's your parents!" he exclaimed to Danny, "And Vlad's with them!"

"What!?" everyone exclaimed.

"We can't let him see us all together," said Danny, "Dani, Valerie; we need to get out of here before Vlad sees us."

The two nodded and quickly took to the skies. Danny quickly grabbed the Deadshot from Trevor before followed suit, leaving Tucker and Sam alone with Trevor and Dust. The ghost raven dissipated into ecto-energy and returned to the time medallion just as the Fenton RV pulled up and screeched to a halt. The two teens hurried to the RV as Jack and Maddie pulled out a containment stretcher from the back and followed them back into the alley. Vlad watched through the window as Trevor was wheeled back to the van.

"Hmm…" he smiled, "Looks like I'll get some answers sooner than I thought."

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Magnus was humming to himself as he flipped through his spell book, reading recipes for more potions as his latest brew was finishing up, when Plague phased through the ceiling and turned tangible.

"Had fun, did we?" Magnus asked without looking up.

"Definitely got more than I had expected," Plague admitted, "Almost had three of them, but only got one of the half-ghosts, the younger one."

"He's already sick," Magnus noted, "It's not like you did anything special."

"Oh?" Plague asked, "So infecting him with ecto-acne isn't special?"

***K-Sssshhhh***

Magnus dropped an empty flask, causing it to fall and shatter on the ground.

"You did _what_!?" he exclaimed.

"Oh, relax," Plague chuckled, "I could have done worse."

"Plague, ecto-acne was not part of the plan," Magnus said sternly, "How did you even infect him with it?"

Plague began giving off a dark laugh that made the necromancer slightly unsettled.

"I'm the ghost of disease," he laughed, "I can infect anyone with _any _disease."

"We told you to limit it only to the common cold and the flu," said Magnus.

"If what you have told me about these children are true, then it'll take more than those to stop them," Plague scoffed.

"We are to slow them down, not kill them," said Magnus, "If you can't do that, then I will…"

He stopped and stared at Plague.

"You'll do what?" Plague taunted, "Destroy me? Ha! You'll never get the chance."

"Stop talking," Magnus ordered as he quickly mixed together another potion.

"I'm sorry, since when did Plasmius say you could order me around?" Plague asked.

"Take a look at yourself," said Magnus.

Plague cocked his head slightly before glancing down and saw his body beginning to slowly swell and disintegrate.

"What's happening!?" he exclaimed.

Magnus quickly added a purple liquid to the mixture, turning it dark blue, corked the flask and shook it a few times.

"I would seem the experiment was not done correctly," he explained, "While you may retain a structured form, your unique ecto-energy is not stable."

"Meaning!?" Plague demanded to know as he watched more and more of himself slowly growing and vanishing.

"Your body is unstable, and you will cease to exist unless I do something about it," Plague answered before throwing the container at Plague's feet.

The flask shattered and Plague was engulfed in blue smoke for a moment. The effects were instant; the swelling and disintegration reversed, and Plague's body returned to normal.

"This is only a temporary solution," Plague noted, "I'll look into a more permanent solution."

"That would be nice," Plague grumbled.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Trevor slowly opened his eyes.

"Uggghhhh…" he groaned, "Where… am I?"

It took a moment for his vision to become clear and realize that he was back at the Fenton Works' Lab, inside a containment stretcher. He glanced over to the side and saw Vlad Masters, now in a lab coat, talking to Jack and Maddie, who were now back in their usual attire.

"Crud, it's Masters," Trevor muttered, "What the hell is _he _doing here? Better think of some dumb excuse to cover for the Fentons."

He began to moan loud enough so everyone could hear him.

"Uggghhhh, where am I?"

"Ah, you're awake," said Vlad as he approached the young halfa.

"Mayor Masters?" Trevor asked with feigned confusion as he glanced around and pretended to notice Jack and Maddie, "Mr. and Mrs. Fenton? What's going on?"

"Trevor!"

"Huh?"

Everyone turned to the stairway to see Danny, Tucker, Sam, Valerie, and Danielle rushing inside.

"Are you okay!?" Danielle exclaimed.

"Don't get near him," Danny hissed, grabbing her by the arm.

"Why, Daniel," Vlad greeted, "It's been a while. And you as well, Ms. Gray."

"Mayor Masters," Valerie replied, swallowing the lump in her throat.

"What happened?" Danny asked his parents.

"We're not sure," Maddie replied, "Sam called us and told us that Trevor had been infected with what she believed to be ecto-acne."

"It's a good thing she did," Jack added, "Her suspicions were correct."

"Sam, could you tell us what exactly happened?" Maddie asked.

"Well, we were all hanging out at the arcade," Sam explained, "We were all heading home; me, Tucker, and Trevor went our way and we came across a ghost."

"***Cough-cough* **I distracted the ghost, but got caught in some weird smoke," Trevor continued, "Next thing I knew, I felt really weird and sick and… I guess I lost consciousness."

Vlad's eyes turned and focused onto Danielle, who nervously backed into Danny.

"Ah, and who's this?" Vlad asked.

"I'm, uh… I'm Danny's cousin," Danielle gulped, "Well, er, sister…"

"Sister?" Vlad asked as he glanced up at Danny, "I wasn't aware you had a younger sister, Daniel."

"We're in the process of adopting her soon," Maddie explained, "My, uh… sister, Alicia; she's been having a hard time back in Arkansas, financially. She's refused to accept any money from our family, so she's asked me to take in Danielle."

"Is that so?" Vlad asked, causing Danny and Danielle to glare at him, "What a loving sister you are, Maddie."

"Well, do your best to make him better, Vlad," Danny warned, briefly flashing his neon green eyes, "I don't know what we'd do if something happened to him."

"I'll do my best, _little badger_," Vlad smirked, "But unlike before, finding a cure may prove to be a challenge."

"How so?" Tucker asked.

"This ecto-acne appears to be a different strain from the one _we_ were infected with," Vlad explained, "It'll take more than diet soda to save this young man's life."

"Well, you _better _find it fast!" Danielle snapped, "Pretty sure you'd be scared of what's to come."

With that, she pushed passed Danny and the others and made her way upstairs.

"Hmph," Vlad smirked.

"Kids, why don't you head upstairs and leave us to handle this?" Jack suggested.

"Don't worry," Trevor groaned, getting the team's attention, "I'll be fine. You go and do your thing."

The team was still worried, but Trevor gave them a rare soft smile, boosting their confidence. Danny turned and nodded to the others before leading them back upstairs. Vlad smiled to himself as he turned and walked over to Trevor. The halfa's eyes followed Vlad's until the mayor was standing over him; the two trying to intimidate the other.

"Vlad, could you draw some blood from him?" Maddie asked over her shoulder as she looked through a microscope, "One vial should suffice."

"Of course," the villain said as he pulled out two vacutainers and a needle from his coat pocket, "Now then…"

Vlad carefully inserted the needle into Trevor's arm through a small porthole of the stretcher.

"Let's see what answers you can give me," he smirked as red liquid filled the first vial, "I'm sure a time traveler like you can answer all my questions."

"Like I'd tell you a damn thing, old man," Trevor scoffed.

"Me? An old man?" Vlad asked, pretending to be insulted, "I'm hardly in my mid-forties."

"Oh, so you're actually a dinosaur?" Trevor dryly joked as the second vacutainer was finished being filled.

"And what are you?" Vlad asked, "You clearly care about your brother and sister. What were their names again? Alexis and Cole?"

Trevor's eyes slightly widened.

"And no, young one, I haven't a clue where your brother is, nor when I used Reaper for my own plans did he ever even mention him," Vlad told him as he labeled the vacutainers, "Not that I wouldn't use him for my own gain either."

Vlad chuckled as he turned away and walked over to Maddie, making the mistake of taking his eyes of a half-ghost with telekinetic powers; concentrating, Trevor telekinetically held one of Vlad's shoes down to the ground, causing the mayor to trip and fall flat on the floor, breaking one of the vacutainers.

"OOOFF!" he exclaimed.

"Vladdie!" Jack exclaimed as he and Maddie rushed over to him.

"Oh, snickerdoodles," Vlad hissed when he saw the puddle of blood in front of him.

Jack and Maddie each grabbed one of his arms and helped him to his feet.

"Are you okay, Vladdie?" Jack asked, "Sounded like you hit that floor pretty hard."

"I thank you for your concern, Jack, but I'm fine," Vlad told him as he brushed himself off.

He glanced back at Trevor, who was silently chuckling to himself. The youngster turned to Vlad and briefly revealed his glowing blue eyes.

"Sorry for the mess," Vlad said as he turned back to Maddie, "Here's the sample."

"We only needed one to begin with," she told him as she took the vacutainer, "Why did you take a second."

"My bad," Vlad admitted, "I was so preoccupied taking the samples that I accidentally took two instead of one."

Jack and Maddie made their way over to some lab equipment and began analyzing Trevor's blood. Vlad glanced back at Trevor and saw that he had drifted to sleep. A mischievous smile crossed his face and he slowly approached the control panel for the Fenton Ghost Portal. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a black glove, and put it over his right hand. He glanced at the bottom of his thumb, where a small holographic thumbprint resembling Jack's appeared. He slowly lowered it towards the scanner and was inches away before his entire body was surrounded by a blue aura.

"What the!?" he quietly hissed.

He turned back and saw Trevor glaring at him as he was levitated off the ground, moved across the room, and placed directly behind Jack and Maddie. Vlad blinked a few times as Jack and Maddie looked behind and saw him.

"Is something wrong?" Jack asked.

"Oh, uh…" Vlad replied, quickly hiding his gloved hand in his pocked, "Nothing, nothing at all!"

"Great!" Jack exclaimed, "While Maddie is looking at the sample, why don't we look at the weapons in the vault!"

Before Vlad could object, Jack grabbed him by the arm and pulled him over to the armory. Meanwhile, in Danny's room, the gang was spread out through the room; Tucker was on his knees while checking his drone, Danny and Danielle were sitting on the bed, and Sam and Valerie were just sitting on the ground nearby.

"What the heck is Vlad doing here!?" Danielle exclaimed.

"I dunno," Danny sighed, "but it can't be good, knowing him."

"But can we trust him to help find a cure for Trevor?" Valerie asked before turning to Tucker, "You and Sam got this thing before, right?"

"Yeeeeaaaahhh…" Tucker replied, "It wasn't fun."

"You think Trevor will survive long enough for Danny's parents to find a cure?" Valerie asked.

"Trevor's tough," said Sam, "I'm sure he'll be fine."

"I still don't like it," said Danielle as she crossed her arms and turned to Danny, "Last time I saw Vlad, he turned me into a puddle of goo. ****** **Why should we trust this guy to not do the same thing to Trevor!?"

"Well, it's like you said," Danny told her, "even Vlad should be afraid of Reaper and what could happen if he wins."

"Pretty sure Vlad thinks he smart enough to take on Reaper and get the Orbs of Power for himself," Danielle noted, "Who, or what, is going to stop him?"

"Us, of course," Danny laughed, "We've beaten Vlad over and over. What's there to worry?"

"But it's _Trevor_," Danielle insisted.

Danny raised an eyebrow and glanced over to the others, who just gave him the same knowing smirk as he was giving them.

"Oh, so _that's _what this is about, huh?" Danny asked in a teasing manner.

"What?" Danielle asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You like Trevor, don't you?" Danny teased, causing Danielle to faintly blush.

"WHAT!?" she exclaimed, "N… No! Ew, no!"

"Oh, really?" Sam jumped in, "Then why are you so worried about him?"

"It's… it's because… it's because Vlad's here and-and he's treating him…" Danielle stuttered.

"Really? That's all?" Tucker chimed in, "You know, you _did _spend a lot of time nursing him earlier…"

"And you definitely seem to care about him more than a friend," Valerie smirked.

"Shut up…" Danielle groaned, hiding her red face behind her hands.

"Anyways…" said Danny, "We should be worried about Plague. If he's able to infect Trevor with ecto-acne, then he can definitely infect everyone with it."

"So… we didn't try catching him… because why?" Valerie asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I think Trevor's infection got us distracted," said Sam, "And knowing most of the ghosts we come across, if they get away, they tend to go into hiding for a while before returning."

"I don't know about you guys," Tucker yawned as he stretched his arms out, "I'm beat. And I still have to finish Lancer's chemistry homework."

"Oh, great," Danny moaned, "I still need to do that."

"Sucks for you, boys," Sam smirked as she got up and headed for the door, "I already finished everything. So, while I get some sleep, you two can stay up late. _Again_."

She poked her head back into view and smirked.

"Later."

"Gee, thanks for rubbing it in, Sam!" Danny exclaimed as Sam left to go home.

"I'm gonna head home as well," said Valerie, "I'm in the same boat as you; I still need to finish Lancer's homework."

"That's what you get for teasing me," Danielle yawned.

"And you should head to bed as well, young lady," Danny smirked.

"No, I can still go on patrol," she moaned as her eyes began to droop.

"Uh huh, sure," Danny smirked as he helped her to her feet and led her to her room.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

The next day, Danny, Tucker, Sam, and Valerie were entering the high school and noticed even less people were there than the day before.

"I hope Plague hasn't been working while we slept," Danny yawned.

"Long night?" Sam teased.

"Ha, Sam," Danny said, rolling his eyes.

As soon as they entered their classroom, the four teens were quick to notice that someone was sitting at Lancer's desk.

"Huh… guess Lancer got sick as well?" Tucker asked.

"If we're lucky," Danny half-joked as they took their seats.

The bell rang and the remaining students either left to their respected classes or took their seats.

"Good morning, class. I'm Mr. Calico, your substitute teacher," the visitor explained to them, "Your principal is out sick today and Mr. Lancer must take over her administrative duties until she returns."

"Oh, jeez, that's even worse," Tucker quietly joked to Danny, "Lancer as principal? We're doomed."

"Is there something you wish to tell the class, Mr…?" Mr. Calico asked as he flipped through the attendance, "Foley, is it?"

"Uh, yes- I mean no, sir!" Tucker exclaimed.

"I thought so," Mr. Calico lightly laughed, "Now, before I take attendance, Mr. Lancer left instructions saying that he was expecting you all the turn in your assignment, so come up and turn it in."

Danny unzipped his backpack and was about to reach in, but he gasped, and his ghost sense went off.

"Huh?" he exclaimed, glancing around the room, "Ghost sense? But where?"

"Mr. Fenton!" Mr. Calico said loudly, "Do you have your assignment or not?"

"Uh, yes, sorry!" Danny exclaimed as he pulled it out.

Unknown to Danny, directly under the school was the sewer system; a network of underground tunnels for waste disposal. Inside, Plague was floating around, dragging his cane through the toxic waste and infecting it with disease.

"I should have done this sooner," he chuckled, "Instead of doing all the work, I'll let the little critters do the work the same way they did during the Pestilence…"

He glanced over his shoulder as hundreds of pairs of tiny red eyes appeared from the dark tunnel.

"Hm… perhaps a test should be done…"

The sound of a motorcycle overhead got the ghost's attention.

"Perfect."

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

_Trevor telekinetically held one of Vlad's shoes down to the ground, causing the mayor to trip and fall flat on the floor, breaking one of the vacutainers._

"_OOOFF!" he exclaimed._

"_Vladdie!" Jack exclaimed as he and Maddie rushed over to him._

"_Oh, snickerdoodles," Vlad hissed when he saw the puddle of blood in front of him._

_However, Vlad has an extra vial on him that was filled with blood-like substance, which he broke when he fell instead of the one of two blood samples he took from the halfa. He quickly hid the second vial before Jack and Maddie each grabbed one of his arms and helped him to his feet._

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Vlad was back in his secret lab, staring at his computer screen as the computer was analyzing Trevor's blood sample.

"What do you expect to find?" Magnus asked as he teleported behind him.

"I'm not quite sure myself," Vlad admitted, "but I bet it will be quite a surprise."

Suddenly, Vlad's cellphone began to vibrate.

"Hello?" Vlad answered, "Mayor Masters here."

"_Vladdie? It's Jack," _said the caller, _"Maddie and I need you back here immediately."_

"Is something wrong?" Vlad asked, not taking his eyes off the screen.

"_Trevor's condition has gotten worse," _Jack explained, _"His fever has reached 104 and he's getting weaker."_

"Is that right?" Vlad smirked while feigning concern, "I'll be over as soon as I'm available."

Before Jack could reply, Vlad hung up and turned his attention to a large vat. He walked over and looked into the porthole.

"Judging by your reaction, I'm guessing you won't be heading back to the Fenton Works any time soon?" Magnus asked.

"Of course not," Vlad replied over his shoulder, "I have nearly everything I need right here."

"Everything except knowledge your duplicate has," Magnus chuckled as he teleported back over to his workstation, "I thought the purpose of you going to the Fenton Works in the first place was to get your clone back."

Vlad glared over his shoulder.

"Let me guess… Trevor was making things difficult for you?" Magnus chuckled, "He's a very stubborn young man."

"Indeed, he is," Vlad growled under his breath as he glanced away.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Back in the Fenton Works' Lab, Jack and Maddie were working nonstop, trying to find a cure for Trevor's ecto-acne. The two looked up from their microscopes and glanced over at Trevor, who was sweating and breathing heavily from inside the containment stretcher. Danielle was sitting nearby, rubbing her hands against her knees nervously.

"So…" said Trevor, "Never heard the full story, but what was the answer to finding Mayor Masters' ecto-acne, which he… ***Ahem* **Accidentally gave to Sam and Tucker?"

"Diet soda, if you can believe that," Maddie replied as she and Jack looked up at the large monitor showing cells infected with the strange ectoplasmic disease.

"Honestly, I'm can," Trevor deadpanned before he coughed, "Believe it or not, this is not the worst feeling I've experienced. Physically speaking."

"How long until you guys find a cure?" Danielle asked, "I mean… don't you guys research into these kinds of things?"

"Ecto-acne is the only known ghost disease we know of, and the only one that affects humans," Jack answered, "So far, no one else has ever gotten sick from any other ghost disease."

Danielle seemed more worried and began to rub her knees a little harder.

"You keep doing that and you might end up rubbing the skin off," Trevor lightly joked, getting her attention, "Relax, okay? Everything will be fine. You think a little ecto-acne will be my end?"

"But-"

"Just relax. Trust me," Trevor told her before having another coughing fit, "Don't think we need the others hearing about _this_, do we? And, yes, I could hear you guys from down hear."

Danielle looked away to hide her slightly red face. Suddenly, she gasped as her ghost sense went off.

"Aw, crud," Trevor muttered as he glanced over at the Fenton Ghost Portal.

He beckoned Danielle to hurry over to his side without the Fentons noticing.

"Last night, Vlad was trying to get the portal open," Trevor whispered to her, "I don't know for sure, but I'm suspecting that he was trying to get something to _leave _the Ghost Zone."

Suddenly, the Portal slowly opened and Plasmius started coming through. Danielle quickly went ghost and threw an ecto-disk at him, nailing him in the face. When he opened his eyes, Plasmius saw a baseball bat swing through the air, hitting him in the face and sending him back into the Ghost Zone. Dani quickly closed the Portal and flew back over to Trevor as she turned back to human form.

"You know…" said Trevor as he telekinetically held the Fenton Anti-Creep Stick between him and Danielle, "I always wanted to do that to him."

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Back at Casper High, Danny and the rest of this classmates were practically dying from how dull Mr. Calypso was explaining their latest reading.

"The raven symbolizes mournful and never-ending remembrance," he explained, "The narrator of the poem is in constant state of remembering his late wife."

Danny rested his cheek against his fist and glanced out the window.

"I hope Trevor's doing alright," he sighed.

Suddenly, a black rat darted along the sidewalk, almost averting the half-ghost's sight. Danny lifted his head and raised an eyebrow.

"Was that a black rat?" he wondered to himself, "I've seen brown ones, but never a black one."

Suddenly, the school alarm went off, causing everyone to jump in their seats.

"_Attention, all students," _Mr. Lancer announced over the school speakers, _"We are commencing a school lockdown due to an unknown disease ravaging through Amity Park. No one is to leave the building. Contact your parents as soon as possible to have them pick you up from school. Walking home is strictly prohibited. Remain calm, stay in the classrooms as much as possible, and stay safe until the situation has been dealt with."_

"Lockdown? Unknown disease?" Danny asked, "Uh oh…"

Suddenly, he gasped as a blue mist escaped passed his lips. When Danny looked outside, he saw dozens upon dozens of rats running down the street, leaving behind the same nasty aura that Plague left when he attacked them the night before.

"Well, this is unexpected," Mr. Calypso noted, "Regardless, we shall continue class."

Danny leaned over and elbowed Tucker to get his attention. He silently motioned over to the window and Tucker nodded, knowing what to do. Tucker then wrote two notes and passed them over to Sam and Valerie, who were sitting in front of him. They each read the note and nodded.

"Um, excuse me?" Valerie asked, raising her hand, "Could I use the restroom?"

"Ms. Gray, can this wait?" Mr. Calypso asked, "You heard the announcement."

"I know," said Valerie, "but it'll be really quick."

"Very well," Mr. Calypso sighed.

Valerie got up and nodded to Tucker and Sam as she made her way towards the door. When she had enough room on the floor, she faked tripping over herself and fell to the floor.

"Ms. Gray, are you alright!?" Mr. Calypso exclaimed.

With everyone looking at Valerie, Tucker and Sam quickly got up and stood in front of Danny's desk. A white light briefly flashed behind them, followed by Danny Phantom flying off, phasing through the wall.

"Yeah," Valerie smirked when she saw Danny disappear, "I'm fine."

Once outside, Danny flew after the rats. The miasma of disease they left behind gave Danny chills.

"This isn't good," he muttered.

Phantom glanced down the road and saw not only the rats, but also a familiar biker and his girlfriend riding straight towards them.

"Johnny!" Danny exclaimed and rushed towards him.

"Isn't this great, babe?" Johnny asked Kitty, "A nice comfortable morning ride."

"Yeah," Kitty sighed, "And with the ghost boy in school and his little sister no longer an issue, we can final- LOOK OUT!"

"HUH!?"

Johnny applied the brakes, but it was too late; he, Kitty, and his motorcycle were swarmed by the sea of rodents. Phantom stopped midair and gasped. For a brief moment, he thought Johnny and Kitty were history. Suddenly, Johnny's Shadow erupted from within the pile and sent the rats flying. As the rodents landed, the strange possession over them vanished and they all became normal brown rats again. Scared by the sight of the ghosts and half-ghost, the rats ran away, hiding in nearby brush.

"Johnny! Kitty!" Danny exclaimed as he flew towards them, "Are you guys alright?"

"Y-yeah," Johnny replied, "But…"

When the two ghosts tried to look up at Phantom, but they didn't have the strength to do so; Johnny leaned against the handlebars and Kitty was leaning against him.

"What's wrong?" Danny asked.

"I don't know… I feel so… _weak_," Johnny replied.

"Me too," Kitty added.

Shadow made a strange noise, getting everyone's attention. Even it wasn't looking so great either.

"Those rats must have infected you with something," Phantom told them as he took a step away from them, "I don't know what, but it could be contagious."

"Us? Sick?" Kitty lightly laughed, "Don't make me laugh; ghosts can't get sick."

"You sure about that?" Phantom asked, "If so, then why you guys look like you caught the flu?"

Johnny and Kitty glanced at each other and noticed that they both look paler than usual, for a ghost, and that they had dark circles under their eyes.

"I know this sounds crazy, but there's a ghost out there named Plague," Phantom explained, "He already infected Specter with ecto-acne and he could be getting everyone sick right now with those rats."

"Never heard of him," said Kitty.

"Been getting that a lot lately," Phantom groaned, "Look, just… just stay away from everyone and don't return to the Ghost Zone. We can't risk this thing going around and infecting everyone."

"Great," Johnny sighed, "Not the greatest way to start the day. First that weird ghost, now this?"

"Ghost?" Phantom asked, "Wait, did he have a weird looking mask? Did it have a beak?"

"Yeah…" Johnny replied, raising an eyebrow, "Why?"

"You three stay here," Phantom ordered, "I'll go deal with Plague and hopefully find a way to fix this."

Before anyone could object, the young hero flew off towards the city.

"I'm gonna need all the help I can get if things get as bad as I fear," Phantom muttered as he pulled out his Fenton Phone.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

"Jack, grab everything and put it in the car!" Maddie exclaimed as she and Jack were scrambling for supplies.

Trevor, who was not fully conscious, was looking around, wondering what was going on.

"What's happening?" he asked Dani, who was floating next to him with the Fenton Phone on.

"Danny called," she explained, "Plague is using rats to spread disease and it even got Johnny 13, Kitty, and Johnny's Shadow sick."

Trevor blinked a few times, trying to process the news.

"What?" he asked, "That's impossible."

"Yeah, Danny saw it happen himself," Dani explained, "I'm gonna meet up with him so we can find Plague and capture him quickly."

"No, you need to stay here and protect Trevor," Jack told the young girl, "We can't risk leaving him alone."

"But-" Dani began to argue.

"It's fine, Mr. Fenton," Trevor coughed, "I can take care of myself. You three are needed out there."

"Wait, what!?" Dani exclaimed, "We can't leave you alone!"

"I thought you had someplace to go," Trevor side-eyed, "I'll be fine. _Really_."

Dani glanced over her shoulder, watching Jack and Maddie rush up and downstairs with various equipment in their hands.

"Fine," she sighed, "Just stay in touch if you need help."

She flew upstairs after Jack and Maddie, leaving Trevor alone in the lab.

"You can come out now," Trevor moaned.

Dust, in her normal form, phased out of the floor and stood beside Trevor.

"Given that you're in your _real _form, things are pretty serious, huh?" Trevor asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Johnny and Kitty aren't the only ghosts that have fallen ill," Dust revealed.

Trevor took a deep breath and sighed.

"What did the Observants say?" he asked.

"Do whatever it takes to protect the Earth and the Ghost Zone," Dust replied, "But only for this situation."

"Pfft," Trevor scoffed, "You can't be serious."

"_Trevor_," Dust said sternly as she floated over to the control panel.

"***Sigh* **Ok, fine," he groaned as the locks around his containment stretcher unlocked.

He pushed the lid open and sat up. Dust watched as Trevor got to his feet with some difficulty.

"Did you bring it?" he asked.

Dust jerked her head over to the nearby table. Trevor practically stumbled his way over before reaching behind it to grab something.

"Maybe you should tell the others," Dust suggested, "You're clearly not in any condition to be fighting."

"As if I've got a choice," Trevor snapped back as a blue ring appeared around his waist and he tried to go ghost.

"You can't even go into your ghost form!" Dust exclaimed, "Just tell the others."

"No," Trevor said gravely as the rings split but barely moved more than a foot each, "We both know what must be done."

"And you think your way is the only way?" Dust asked, crossing her arms.

Behind her, the Fenton Ghost Portal doors were slowly forced open from the other side. A pair of black, gloved fingers slipped through the opening, allowing the intruder to get a better hold of the doors. As the doors slowly opened more and more, Plasmius also slowly made his way through.

***BLAM***

A powerful blue ghost ray shot Plasmius in the chest, forcing him back into the Ghost Zone and the Fenton Ghost Portal to reclose. Dust blinked a few times as she stared at the Portal doors before turning back to Specter.

"It's the _only _way," he told her as he slung the Deadshot over his shoulder, "If there were any other way, I'd be calling them. Now stay here and make sure _he _doesn't get out."

"You do know he'll just find another way out," Dust pointed out as Specter went intangible.

"I'm surprised he hasn't done so already," he told her as she dissipated into energy and returned to the time medallion.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Back in his secret lab, Vlad was still waiting for the results on Trevor's blood sample as he casually checked the chemicals and substances he had stored on the shelves. He was also in the middle of a phone call with Maddie.

"How many people!?" he exclaimed, "Ugh, this is a _disaster_! You and Jack have my authorization to use the old North Mercy Hospital**^*** to quarantine those already infected."

Suddenly, Magnus arrived through a magical portal that disappeared behind him.

"Masters, we have a situation," he announced.

"Where have you been!?" Vlad asked as he hung up, "You said you'd only be gone for an hour _at most_!"

"It's Plague," Magnus explained, "He's infecting _everyone _he encounters. And he's using rats to spread it faster."

"Yes, I'm aware," Vlad sighed, "The Fentons have informed me that he's infected a couple hundred-"

"Thousand."

Vlad paused and blinked a few times.

"Come again?" he asked.

"Couple _thousand_," Magnus repeated, "That's the situation."

Vlad's eyes burned in anger.

"That insolent swine!" he shouted, slamming his hands on the nearby desk, "All he had to do was simple distract and slow down Daniel and his friends, not cause a pandemic in my city!"

"It's worse than that," Magnus sighed.

"What could possibly be worse?" Vlad asked over his shoulder.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

In the middle of Amity Park, Plague flew after a group of panicking civilians as he and his army of rats spread ecto-acne throughout the populace. Those who were infected and showing green pimples freaked out and ran off, unintentionally spreading it to others.

"Ah, the madness… the chaos!" Plague exclaimed as he closed in on his targets, "I've never felt more… _alive_."

The ghost of disease held out his lantern as it began to glow, aiming it towards the running civilians before firing a gas of ecto-acne towards them. Just as they were about to be engulfed, a black and white streak flew between them and the noxious cloud before it and they vanished inside.

"Sorry to rain on your parade, Plague," a familiar voice said from within the cloud, "but you'd have to be _alive _to feel alive!"

Plague was shocked when the air began to clear, revealing Danny Phantom surround himself and the bystanders with a ghost shield. It became brighter and brighter for a moment before Phantom unleashed a repulsion shield, blowing away the vile disease.

"I was wondering when you would show up," Plague smiled, "Guess my little experiment was not as effective as I hoped. No matter… This makes it easier to know **when I infect you**!"

Suddenly, a pink ghost ray blasted Plague in the back, stunning him for a moment. Danny looked over and saw the Red Huntress flying in.

"I was wondering where you were, Valerie," he smirked, "Took ya long enough."

"Well, I had to be sure Tucker and Sam could keep Mr. Calypso busy enough to not wonder where _we _went," Valerie replied.

"Good point," said Phantom.

Behind him, Plague aimed his cane at Phantom and fired a dark green ghost ray at him.

"Danny, look out!" the Red Huntress exclaimed.

Phantom turned around but had no time to react. It wasn't until a black and white streak pushed him aside that the attack was avoided.

"What the!?" Phantom exclaimed before he looked down and saw Dani holding on to him, "Dani!?"

"You idiot!" she shouted, "You have intangibility!"

"Oh, right," Danny chuckled nervously, "Sorry."

"From one to three now, is it?" Plague asked before smirking, "Now I can infect three heroes with _one _disease."

"Wow, _that _was awful," the Red Huntress pointed out before blasting Plague away with her wrist cannon.

"_Danny, can you hear me?"_

"Mom?" Phantom answered on his Fenton Phone, "What's wrong?"

"_We've set up a quarantine area at North Mercy Hospital," _Maddie explained, _"but more and more people are coming in. Even with help from other doctors and nurses, I'm not sure how long we can keep up."_

"What about the cure?" Dani asked.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

"We're trying our best," Jack explained over the Fenton Phone, "It should be done soon, but we can't quite figure out why the ecto-acne instantly becomes resistant the moment the cure begins to work."

"It's almost as though it instantly mutates," said Maddie, "But that should be impossible, it doesn't have genetics like organic creatures do."

"Perhaps _I _could be of service?" a voice said behind the two Fentons.

"Vladdie!" Jack exclaimed, "What are you doing here?"

"I figured you could use another set of hands," Vlad explained, "And as mayor, I must look after the people's well-being."

"You truly care about the people, Vlad," said Maddie.

"Of course," Vlad said quietly, "I also have my own reasons."

"What was that?" Maddie asked.

"Nothing, nothing at all," said Vlad, "Just reminding myself of something."

He villain's eyes glanced over and saw vials of chemicals lined up along the wall where the Fentons had them stockpiled.

"Perfect," he whispered to himself as he walked over and ran his finger over the labels, "Just what I was looking fo-"

"Hey, Vladdie!" Jack exclaimed, "Could I borrow you for a moment? I think I've found the solution to making the cure!"

"Butter biscuits!" Vlad hissed, "Of course, Jack."

"Great!" Jack exclaimed, "Just grab that vial of ecto-quartz."

Vlad groaned as he walked away from the shelf and grabbed the vial on the table near Jack.

"Thanks, Vladdie," said Jack as he was slowly adding drops of ectoplasm to the possibly cure, "Just add a few drops of the stuff in here."

"Alright," Vlad said with uncertainty.

He removed the rubber stopper and added a couple of drops of the liquified ghost rock. The mixture immediately began to bubble.

"That's not good," Jack muttered.

***SPLORT***

Jack winced as he saw the green substance splatter all over Vlad.

"Whoops," he said, "Guess that one didn't work… sorry, Vladdie."

The mayor glared at Jack as the ectoplasm dripped down his face.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

"OOOOFFF!" Phantom exclaimed as his back slammed into the ground.

The Red Huntress and Dani crashed beside him a couple seconds later.

"Is it just me?" Dani asked as she got back to her feet, "Or is this guy getting stronger the longer we fight him?"

"No," Phantom replied as he helped Valerie back up to her feet, "I think we just need a better plan than just blinding throwing fists and ecto-disks."

The two teens have Dani a hard side-eye on the last comment.

"What!?" she exclaimed, "He got Trevor sick!"

"Are you seriously going to let _that _get under your skin?" the Huntress asked, raising an eyebrow.

"What's wrong!?" Plague exclaimed above, getting their attention, "Giving up so soon!?"

"As if," Danny smirked as he led the trio up towards Plague.

The ghost turned intangible as a barrage of ghost rays were fired at him. The two Phantoms stopped firing and went invisible, with Dani grabbing Valerie's arm.

"Oh, don't think vanishing will help you," Plague warned as he went tangible again and held his lantern above him, "I'll cover this entire area with ecto-acne!"

"Now, Valerie!" Dani shouted.

"Huh!?" Plague exclaimed as he spun around just as the Red Huntress fired her wrist cannon.

The energy blast knocked the lantern out of the ghost's hand, sending it flying far into the distance.

"No!" Plague shouted.

He glared at the three heroes before swinging his cane out and unleashing a powerful energy wave at them. They gasped as the attack closed in and slammed into them, sending them back towards the ground, but they all managed to recompose themselves before crashing.

"He's getting away!" Dani exclaimed, pointing at Plague as he flew off after his lantern.

"At least he'll be out of the city," said Valerie, "Unless…. Wait… isn't that the direction where North Mercy Hospital is?"

The three blinked a few times before they bolted after Plague. None of them noticed a ghost portal suddenly appearing on the ground where they had stood, and Vlad Plasmius entered the real world. An evil grin appeared on his face as he followed them from a distance.

"Of _all _the places I had to send that thing flying," the Red Huntress grumbled to herself.

"Forget about that," said Danny, "We need to capture Plague before he gets that lantern back!"

He then turned his attention to the Fenton Phone.

"Dad, Plague is heading towards you right now!" he exclaimed.

"_No need to worry, Danny," _said Jack.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

"Your mother and I came prepared," he explained, "Maddie! Activate the ghost shield!"

Maddie nodded before she pulled out a small remote and pushed the large green button on it. A giant green ghost shield appeared around the entirety of the hospital; patients, doctors, and nurses gasping and staring in awe as the protective barrier appeared.

"There," Maddie smiled, crossing her arms, "Now that ghost can't get inside."

Not far, Danny, Valerie, and Dani were slowly catching up to Plague as the hospital slowly came into view. Plague glared over his shoulder for a moment before he turned invisible.

"Where'd he go!?" Dani exclaimed.

"We'll worry about that later," said Danny, "We need to grab that lantern before he does!"

"I see it!" the Huntress exclaimed, pointing just below the ghost shield.

The two Phantoms followed her finger and saw the lantern laying on the ground. The group flew down and landed around it. Danny reached down to pick it up.

"Too late, fools!" Plague exclaimed as he intangibly erupted from the ground under the lantern.

He grabbed his weapon and unleashed a powerful repulsion blast around him, sending Danny, Valerie, and Dani flying a few feet away from him.

"Darn," Danny muttered.

"Aw, what's wrong, ghost boy?" Plague chuckled, "Disappointed that you lost?"

"If you think you've defeated me, think again, pal!" Danny taunted as he got back up and floated off the ground.

Suddenly, Plague's body began to slowly warp.

"What!? Now!?" he exclaimed, "Well… I guess this isn't _too _bad."

"Not looking so good, Plague," Danny smirked as he held out his hands and prepared to fire a ghost ray at him, "What's wrong? Caught the bug going around?"

"You sure seem confident for someone who is about to lose _everything_," Plague chuckled as his body slowly grew like a balloon, with some parts slowly disintegrating.

"What… what are you doing!?" Dani exclaimed as she looked up from the ground.

"Well, if you should know, my creators didn't exactly _perfect _the experiment," Plague explained, "My body becomes unstable over time, and if something isn't done to reverse it, well… Heh heh heh… I might go out with a _bang_! And not even this shield will save you from the miasma of disease I will unleash once I do so!"

"I don't think so!" Danny shouted as he reached behind his back, "Wait… where's…?"

"Looking for something?" Plague asked.

The three heroes looked at the growing ghost as he chuckled and gestured down to his feet, where they saw three Fenton Thermoses.

***Crunch***

"Oops," said Plague as he lifted his foot, revealing the crushed canisters, "I think I broke them."

"Not good," Danny gulped.

"And don't think about touching me," Plague noted, "I'm fragile."

"Danny, what do we do?" the Huntress asked.

"I… I don't know!" he admitted.

The occupants of the hospital all gasped and braced themselves for the inevitable explosion. Jack and Maddie hugged each other while Vlad glared at Plague through the window. The ghost of disease's laughter echoed through the air as he prepared to use his final attack.

***BANG***

"URK!"

Plague slowly looked down and saw ectoplasm oozing out of his chest. His eyes widened and his body began to shake.

"What… what's happening?" he asked in disbelief, "I feel… different…"

Green veins appeared around the wound and webbed out across his entire body. Once he was covered, the veins began to glow brighter and brighter as Plague's body suddenly froze in place.

"No! NO! _**NOOOOOOOOOO!**_"

Like glass, his body shattered into thousands of pieces before they reduced to dust. All that was left was Plague's cane and lantern on the ground, but those too soon followed suit and turned to dust. Valerie and Dani slowly got to their feet; they and Danny were shaking.

"What just happened?" Dani asked nervously.

***Caw caw***

The three looked up and saw a familiar ghost raven flying in circles above them.

"Isn't that Dust?" the Huntress asked, "What's she doing here?"

Dust flew off towards a nearby hill and landed on an individual's shoulder. He held a sniper rifle over his shoulder and his eyes were staring at the group.

"Specter?" Danny asked in shock.

The young halfa blinked himself and Dust away, leaving Danny, Valerie, and Dani at a loss for words. It wasn't until everyone from the hospital began cheering for the so-called victory. Danny glanced down and picked up the damaged Fenton Thermoses.

"I'll… take them back home," Dani offered, taking them and storing them away, "You two should get back to school."

Danny and Valerie nodded and flew off back towards Casper High while Dani flew back to the Fenton Works. No one noticed Plasmius peaking from behind a tree nearby.

"Interesting," he noted.

A few floors up, Vlad saw his duplicate and smiled.

"Oh, Jack?" he called out, "If you would, could you lower the ghost shield now that the threat has been dealt with?"

"Sure thing, Vladdie!" Jack exclaimed as he grabbed the remote from the table and pushed the button.

As soon as the shield was gone, Plasmius turned intangible and flew into the hospital. With Jack's and Maddie's backs facing Vlad, they didn't see his duplicate return into his body, along with the memories he carried. **^****

"Very, _very _interesting indeed," he smirked to himself.

"We've got it!" Maddie exclaimed holding up a vial of orange substance, "We've got the cure!"

"Wonderful!" Vlad exclaimed, "Quickly! We must produce more if we want to cure all these patients. And that young boy at your home."

"That's right!" Maddie gasped, "We must get this to Trevor!"

"Don't you worry, Maddie," said Vlad, "If you wouldn't mind, I would like to personally deliver the cure to him."

"You… would?" Maddie asked, raising an eyebrow as she took off her mask.

"Well, I also believe I misplaced one of my belongings in your lab when I tripped yesterday," Vlad lied, "If you wouldn't mind, I would like to get it myself. It's rather… personal."

"Of course," said Maddie as she handed Vlad a vial, "I'm certain Trevor will be very thankful."

"Oh, I'm sure he will be," Vlad smiled as he turned and left, unaware that Specter's intangible head was poking through the ceiling before he blinked away.

A moment later, Dani intangibly entered the lab behind Maddie. The Fenton turned around and nodded when she saw her soon-to-be adopted daughter. She handed a vial full of the cure to Dani and the young half-ghost hurried back home.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Danny and Valerie reached a janitor's closet with intangibility, where they reverted back to normal. They slowly opened the door and poked their heads out.

"Come on," said Danny as Valerie followed him down the hall, "If we hurry, we can get back to class and no one will notice."

But just as they turned the corner, they stopped and looked up.

"Mr. Fenton. Ms. Grey," Mr. Lancer said calmly, arms crossed, "Mind explaining why you two have been gone for over an hour?"

Mr. Calypso then walked up from behind Lancer, causing the two teens to gulp.

"My office, _now_."

"Yes, Mr. Lancer," Danny and Valerie groaned.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Dani turned intangible before she entered the Fenton Works.

"Uh… Trevor?" she called out when she poked her head through the ceiling of the lab, "You here?"

"Down here."

Dani looked directly down and saw Specter sitting the ground, leaning against the table. The Deadshot was laying in his lap.

"Got the cure?" he asked.

"Yeah," she replied as she landed beside him and turned tangible, "Here."

Logan's eyes targeted the cure then back up to Dani's.

"Hold on to it," he sighed, "Plasmius will be here soon with the cure."

"What?" Dani asked, "How do you know?"

"I blinked towards the hospital before I came back here," he explained, "Not only that… but looks like Vlad's duplicate managed to escape the Ghost Zone. Saw the damn bastard absorb it."

"What should we do?" Dani asked nervously.

"First, stop shaking," Logan chuckled, "I'm not gonna shoot you or the others… _maybe_."

"Trevor, not funny!" Dani hissed, "You _killed_-"

"You mean 'destroyed'," Trevor corrected as he slowly rose to his feet and coughed, "And I'd rather have this talk some other time."

"Like when the others are here?" Dani glared.

"I'd prefer _never_!" Trevor snapped back, "… Sorry, not feeling well, ya know?"

"Yeah, so… why don't you want the cure?"

"There are other ghosts that need that cure," Trevor told her, "You'll have to find them. They're around in Amity Park and Dust knows exactly where they are."

At the mention of her name, Dust materialized in her raven form on Trevor's shoulder.

"Find the ghosts that have gotten ill and share the cure amongst them," Trevor ordered.

"How do you know it will work on them?" Dani asked.

"I don't," Trevor replied just as the doorbell rang, "It's him."

A white ring appeared around Dani's waist as she reverted to human form, but as she began walking towards the stairs, Trevor grabbed her arm.

"Don't," he told her, "I'll deal with him. You need to get the cure to the others."

"But-"

"No 'buts'," said Trevor, "Just go. Before they accidentally spread it to other places."

Danielle opened her mouth to protest but stopped when the doorbell rang again.

"We can't let him know that other ghosts were infected," Trevor told her, "Now go. I'll deal with Vlad."

Danielle sighed as the white ring reappeared around her waist.

"Just don't do anything extreme," she told him as she turned intangible and flew off.

"Can't promise that," Trevor muttered as Dust morphed into her normal form, "Take the Deadshot and return to Manson's place."

Dust nodded as she took the rifle. The doorbell rang again as she turned intangible and flew away.

"Por laŭte plori…" Trevor muttered, "Hold on I'm- ***Cough-cough* **I'm coming up!"

**(For crying out loud…)**

The young boy slowly climbed the stairs as the doorbell continued to ring.

"One second!" Trevor shouted, his voice slowly becoming hoarse.

He stopped at the front door and wiped the sweat from his ecto-acne riddled face before he opened the door, where Vlad Masters stood.

"Hello, _Specter_," Vlad sneered, "Feeling a bit under the weather?"

"What the hell do you think, _Plasmius_," Trevor shot back, "Next time you help bring a patient inside a building when they are in a containment stretcher, try not to unlock the case and let the patient get out."

"Charming as ever," Vlad chuckled as he entered the Fenton Works, "You certainly are a clever one, aren't you?"

"Cut the crap, Vlad," Trevor growled as he closed the front door, "Why are you here!?"

"Now, now, Specter-"

"_Trevor_," the halfa corrected.

"Trevor… I have no ill-intentions coming here," Vlad explained, "I simply came here to administer the cure to you."

"Oh, so the Fentons found a cure, eh?" Trevor asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Indeed," Vlad smiled as he showed the vial to Trevor, "And it's all yours."

The young hero eyed the vial and Vlad suspiciously.

"What's the catch?" he asked.

"No catch at all," Vlad shrugged, "I simply don't see any reason for you to be out of the picture."

"You mean yet?" Trevor asked before smirking, "Or are you afraid of Reaper?"

"That fiend is insignificant!" Vlad exclaimed, "***Ahem* **No, I simply find you… _unique_."

"Oh, how thoughtful of you," Trevor muttered half-heartedly before swiping the cure from Vlad, "Just so you know, I am well aware that your duplicate finally managed to escape and get absorbed back into you."

"My, my, you truly are the perceptive one," Vlad noted as Trevor popped the cork off the vial and downed the contents in one gulp.

"Oh, jeez, this stuff tastes like crap," Trevor muttered to himself before turning his attention back to Vlad, "Given that you came here on your own, I assume there's more to this visit than just curing my ecto-acne?"

"You could say that," Vlad chortled as the green zits began to vanish from Trevor's face, "More like… a heads up."

Trevor crossed his arms and waited to hear what Vlad had to say.

"As a being from the future, you have information that I would find extremely vital," Vlad explained, "Now, I don't care one way or another of how I get this information, but I do know I can't just torture it out of you."

"Aside from the fact that I would actually, and without hesitation, kill you if you even attempted that, it's not gonna happen, Vlad," Trevor told him, "I can already tell where this is going, and I can tell you this, no matter what you plan, you will fail. You won't conquer the world or defeat Phantom. And I know you can't do anything to me, because without me… Heh… who'd deal with Reaper?"

"You think Reaper is a threat to me?" Vlad laughed, "I can handle him without breaking a sweat!"

"If that's what you think, then by all means, deal with him yourself," Trevor laughed, "But know this, Vlad… I do not take kindly to people using my friends and allies against me. So, unless you have a death wish, you will not harm any of them."

"Ooh, look at the child being so stern and menacing," said Vlad, "But then again, that's all you truly are: a child."

"Vlad… You saw what I did to Plague," Trevor said calmly, "What makes you think I wouldn't do that same to you?"

"Simple," said Vlad, "You'd change the timeline for good. And you would be-"

"Sent back to my timeline by Clockwork, yeah, yeah, I know," Trevor scoffed, "Look, I'm tired and I've got shit to do. How about you leave now before I beat you to a pulp?"

"Very well," Vlad conceited and turned to leave, "Just know that I _will _get answers from you, one way or another."

"We'll see about that," Trevor growled as he slammed the door behind Vlad.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Later that day, Danny, Tucker, Sam, and Valerie were heading to the Fenton Works to confront Trevor.

"You two were lucky that Lancer was willing to only give you extra homework as punishment," said Sam.

"Uggghhh…" Danny and Valerie groaned.

"Yeah, and that it's due tomorrow on top of it," Tucker added.

"UGGGGHHHH…." the two groaned again.

"Ah, the life of a hero," Sam smirked.

"Oh, gee, I wonder why you like me," Danny playfully teased, causing her to blush.

"I still can't believe that Trevor did that to Plague," said Tucker, "Are you guys _sure _that Plague is gone forever?"

"It sure looks like it," Danny sighed, "But what are we going to do about it? Send him back to his timeline? We still need him to help up capture Reaper."

Suddenly, he saw something out of the corner of his eye. He looked up and saw Dani flying overhead.

"Hey! Dani!" he called out getting her attention.

"Danny!" she exclaimed and flew down towards them, "Uh, could you guys…?"

"Sure thing," said Valerie.

The four teens stood around the young half-ghost, protecting her from any seeing eyes as a white flash appeared behind their backs.

"So, what brings you here?" Danny asked as he and his friends gave Danielle some space.

"Trevor wanted me to give the cure to the ghosts that had gotten sick," she explained.

"You mean Johnny 13 and Kitty?" Tucker asked, "Yeah, Danny told us about that."

"And Box Ghost," said Danielle, "Oh, and Spectra and Ember."

"Wait, what?" Danny asked, "There were _others_!?"

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

"Thanks, Mr. and Mrs. Fenton," said Trevor as he got up from his seat down in the Fenton Works Lab.

"We're just glad you are okay, Trevor," said Maddie, "I certain you are grateful to Mayor Masters for taking time to administer the cure to you."

"Uh. Yeah…" Trevor muttered, rubbing the back of his neck, "Anyways, I better get going. I need to see-"

"Mom!? Dad!?" Danny shouted from upstairs, "Have you seen Trevor!?"

"Aw, shit," Trevor hissed under his breathe.

"Yeah, we're down here!" Jack shouted.

Danny's head poked out from the corner of the stairs.

"Uh, Trevor?" he asked, "Could we have a word with you?"

"You get five minutes, tops," Trevor sighed as he followed Danny upstairs.

Tucker, Sam, Valerie, and Danielle were in Danny's room, waiting for the two to join them. Trevor followed Danny into his room and the older half-ghost closed the door behind them.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Danny asked.

"You'll have to be more specific if you want me to answer," said Trevor.

"The other ghosts? That were _sick_?" Danny specified.

"Oh, that?" Trevor asked, "Yeah, see… here's the thing-"

"And did you actually destroy Plague?" Danny asked.

Trevor gave him a hard side-eye.

"What do you think?" he asked.

"We don't kill our enemies!" Danny exclaimed.

"You mean destroy. And, yeah, _you guys _don't," said Trevor, "In my timeline, things are done a bit differently."

"What, you mean we actually take out our enemies for good?" Tucker asked.

"No, just… uuuggghhh," Trevor groaned, "Look, I'm still sick with the flu and I haven't had much sleep these past couple days. Can we not piss me off?"

"Then why did you destroy Plague!?" Sam exclaimed, "Couldn't you have just, I dunno, captured him in a Fenton Thermos and let Clockwork handle him?"

Trevor looked at her, Danny, and Tucker suspiciously.

"First of all, Clockwork has nothing to do with this, so why the hell would he play babysitter?" Trevor asked, "Second of all, you guys _really _think that I would have destroyed Plague if there was any other way to handle it?"

"I dunno," said Danielle as she crossed her arms, "You tell us. Isn't that what the Lost Vaults are for, anyways?"

Trevor's eyes widened as he spun around and stared at Danielle.

"Wait…" he said, "Who told you about that!?"

"The Forgemaster… don't change the subject!" Valerie exclaimed.

"This is important, Valerie," Trevor said sternly, "Trust me, if the Lost-"

"How can we after what happened today!?" Danny exclaimed.

Trevor took a deep breath and gave long heave sigh.

"Dust," he said, "Tell them."

A green glow appeared from under his shirt as Dust materialized in raven form on his shoulder.

"He was just following orders," she explained.

"Whose?" Valerie asked.

"The Observants'," Dust answered.

"Huh?" everyone exclaimed.

"Danny, ghosts don't get sick," Trevor explained, "I don't take pleasure in destroying ghosts, but there are times where there is no other choice."

"There's always a choice!" Danny exclaimed.

"Phantom, I'm _really _not in the mood for a fight," Trevor warned as his eyes briefly flashed blue, "So I'm just gonna cut to the chase; Plague was capable of getting ghosts sick, possibly even to the point where they would cease to exist. Even if I _were _to capture him and seal him away, I couldn't take the risk of there even being the slightest chance that he could escape. Because if he were to run free, there's no telling how much damage he could have caused. Or the number of ghosts and humans he could have infected with some crazy new disease."

Everyone's glare on the boy softened.

"Look, I'm not saying you guys are wrong," Trevor explained, "nor am I saying you should be okay with the decisions I make. But this is nothing new to me. To answer your question from before, _this _is why I brought the ecto-ranium bullets. In case Reaper leaves me with no choice. It has nothing to do with revenge or hatred. If that were the case, I would have taken Reaper out years ago."

"I… understand," Danny sighed.

Everyone began to feel uncomfortable listening to Trevor.

"Like I said before, I'm not here to make friends," he continued, "Once Reaper is dealt with, either captured or destroyed, I'm gone."

"Just like that, huh?" Danny asked.

"Just like that," said Trevor, "Now… if we are done talking about the extreme measures I must take to keep my timeline, _and yours_, safe… I need to pay Clockwork a visit. ***Sigh* **And tell the Observants that Plague has been dealt with."

With that, Trevor turned around and walked out of the room with Dust on his shoulder.

"Hmm…" Valerie muttered as she lightly pinched her chin, "I don't know about you guys, but I get the feeling that he's not telling us the whole story."

"That's how he's been ever since we met," Tucker explained, "You saw the… uh… what was it called again? The file he gave us on Reaper?"

"Isn't it just called a file?" Danielle asked, "And what file?"

"The word you're looking for is _dossier_!" Trevor shouted from downstairs.

The gang glanced at one another, nervously.

"He also does that too," Sam nervously chuckled, "He tends to keep his sense of hearing enhanced."

"But back to my point," said Tucker, "The dossier has a lot of stuff redacted. I'm Trevor has legitimate reasons for some of it, but…"

"But what?" Danielle asked, "And what's this file?"

"Danny, I thought you told her about it," said Tucker.

"I guess I forgot?" Danny nervously shrugged and smiled.

"Just get on with it, Tucker," said Valerie.

"What I'm trying to say is, and Danny and Sam agree with me," he explained, "is that Trevor is hiding a lot of encounters he had with Reaper and we think there's something personal about it."

"Let me guess," said Valerie, as she crossed her arms, "he refuses to talk about it?"

"Yep," Sam replied, "And what's this meeting with Clockwork about? Usually he has Dust handle the meetings."

"Maybe he went to ask about the Lost Vaults?" Danielle shrugged, "At least, that's what the Forgemaster told us."

"Yeah, Trevor seemed worried when you mentioned that place," said Danny as he glanced over his shoulder, "I wonder why."

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Vlad was sitting at his computer, waiting for the analysis on Trevor's blood to be completed, while Magnus was skimming through his spell book.

"So, there was no way we could have found a cure for Plague after all?" Vlad asked.

"Apparently not," Magnus sighed, "Plague's body was just too unstable for any conventional, or _unconventional_, methods to save him."

"Well, he did his job," said Vlad, "He was of no further use to me."

"Should I expect the same thing if I become 'useless'?" Magnus asked as he glanced over to the villain.

"I find that possibility very hard to believe, Magnus," Vlad replied, "With your talents and common plans, I think we'll be working together for a _long _time."

"We shall see, Plasmius," Magnus muttered.

***Beep-beep***

Vlad looked back at the monitor and began skimming through the results.

"Well, well, well…" he smirked, "It would appear that Trevor Logan Spectre is much more interesting than I had thought."

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

A little later, Danny Phantom flew towards Clockwork's lair with Dani and the Red Huntress close behind him.

"Ok, let's stay quiet so we can hear what they are talking about," Danny whispered as the three landed.

A white ring appeared around his waist and he reverted to human form.

"What are you doing?" Dani asked, confused.

"Well, he can't see us if we aren't in our ghost forms," Danny explained, "At least, I hope not."

"Well, worth a shot," Dani shrugged as a white ring appeared around her waist.

The three quietly made their way inside. It wasn't long before they heard voices in the distance. They peaked around a corner and saw Specter talking with an elderly Clockwork and two Observants.

"You did well, Specter," the first Observant stated, "An experiment like Plague would have wreaked havoc in the Ghost Zone."

"Experiment?" Specter asked, "Let me guess… Plasmius?"

"And the Magician of Black Magic," the second Observant added.

"Magnus?" Specter asked, surprised, "Are you sure?"

"It's true, Logan," Clockwork confirmed as his body morphed into an infant, "Plasmius meddled with Magnus' experiment, which resulted in a… _miasma_ of issues."

"Har har," Specter replied, "Any sign of Reaper?"

Clockwork shook his head.

"Fan-frickin'-tastic," the halfa muttered before turning to the Observants, "Anything else you wanna talk to me about?"

"At the moment, no," the second answered, "We will summon you if any issues arise."

"Fine, whatever," Specter shrugged.

The Observants nodded to Clockwork before turning around and flew off.

"Now that _those _useless dolts are gone," Specter sighed before turning to Clockwork, "Mind telling me why you kept is from me?"

The ghost of time remained silent as he morphed into his adult form.

"Clockwork…" Specter warned.

"It is information that should not, _and will not_, be provided to you," Clockwork replied.

"Bullshit!" Specter shouted, "The next time I need answers, I'd prefer to get them from _you_! Not from a secondary source!"

"What does it matter?" Clockwork asked as Specter turned his back on him and took a few steps away, "You know the location of the Lost Vaults is forgotten within seconds of anyone learning it."

"Oh, and yet the Observants have sent dozens of ghosts there since the beginning of time," Specter spat over his shoulder, "Speaking of time, you're wasting mine."

"Do you know who I am?" Clockwork smirked as he turned into his elderly form once more.

"Not in the mood, Clockwork," Specter growled, "Besides, you could always just take me there."

"Out of the question," Clockwork said, a little louder than usual.

"Fine," Specter sighed, "Let's assume, for this timeline's sake, that Reaper somehow has the means to not only _discover_… the location of the Lost Vaults, but also the ability to retain that information indefinitely."

"Specter, if that were the case-"

"One sec, Clockwork," Specter told him before his eyes turned blue and locked on where the others were hiding, "I know you're both there, Phantoms! If anyone else is there with you, come on out!"

Danny and Danielle came out in disbelief, with Valerie behind them.

"How did you know!?" they exclaimed as they went ghost.

"Do you really think being in human form will allow you to get passed my vision?" Specter asked, raising and eyebrow, "Also, I could _hear _you guys earlier."

He turned his attention back to Clockwork.

"You were saying?"

"If Reaper discovered the location of the Lost Vaults and retained that information, yes, I would take you there," Clockwork answered, "But I've always kept a close eye on the Vaults. It's been nearly a month since your last encounter with Reaper, and no one has even visited the Lost Vaults in centuries."

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

"_There's no reason to worry about Reaper even coming within sight of the place."_

A cloaked ghost floated before a large, ancient structure that took a similar appearance to the Roman Parliament with castle stone walls and gothic décor.

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"With Reaper, I'm not taking any chances," said Specter.

"What about your brother?" Dani asked.

"As far as I'm concerned, he's dead," said Specter, "If we find him alive, we'll save him. But Reaper is my main concern."

"But he's your _brother_," said Danny, "Don't you want to find him?"

"Phantom, what do you think?" Specter asked, "Of course I want to find him. But Reaper still being out there is more dangerous than saving Cole. We need to capture Reaper, then save Cole… assuming he's even still alive."

"I'm sorry," said Clockwork as he morphed into a baby, "I cannot take you to the Lost Vaults or give you its location."

"Fine," Specter sighed, "But make sure there's always an eye on the Lost Vaults. Even without the Orbs of Power, Reaper could still think of some other use for it."

Clockwork nodded and turned to the others.

"I trust you and the rest of your allies can continue helping Specter with his mission?" he asked.

"Well…" Valerie began.

"Worry not about his actions earlier today," Clockwork told them, "It was not something any of us are fond of, but it was, unfortunately, necessary."

"Are you sure?" Danny asked, "You two want us to help, and we do, but we are left in the dark on a lot of details."

"Those 'details' are of no importance, Danny," Specter sighed, "Look, I'm-"

"Not looking for friends and just want to go back home," Dani interrupted, "Yeah, yeah, you've said that only a million times already."

"Technically, only 16 times," Specter pointed out before turning back to Clockwork, "If there's nothing else, we'll be leaving."

"As you wish, Specter," Clockwork replied as he morphed into his adult form, "I'll open a portal for you back to the real world."

"Thanks," said Specter as two large clock hands spun in front of him and a portal appeared before him.

The two Phantoms followed Specter through the portal, but Valerie stayed behind.

"Is something on your mind?" Clockwork smiled.

"Sam told me that Forgemaster-"

Clockwork held his hand up, stopping Valerie from finishing what she had to say.

"All will be revealed in due time, my dear," he smiled, "Don't lose faith in Specter."

Valerie smiled and nodded before hopping through the portal. The portal shrunk and vanished, revealing a cross-armed Magnus floating before Clockwork and Dust sitting upon his shoulder.

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**{Notes}**

*** Mr. Falluca is a mathematics teacher at Casper High, seen in the episodes "Doctor's Disorders" and "Flirting with Disaster".**

**** Paulina's last name is Sanchez, as revealed by Butch Hartman.**

***** Reference to the episode "Eye for an Eye".**

****** Reference to the episode "De-Stabilized".**

**^ The Pestilence was what the Black Death was originally called.**

**^* North Mercy Hospital is from the episode "Doctor's Disorders".**

**^** When the user of duplication absorbs the duplicate, they can also absorb their experiences and memories, according the DP Wiki.**

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**What do you guys think? I still got it, right? Right!?**

… **I dunno, I'm just trying to write this story. Sorry it took so long. Like I said, my life's been kinda hectic lately. I'll try not to be too long with the next episode either. That being said, I'm not sure what I'm gonna work on next; either another episode for this or another chapter of my Sonic fanfic. Not sure yet, but I'll be back as soon as I can.**

**Like, follow, and review! Until next time!**

**~ThePhantomHedgehog**


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